The Infamous Lives of Teen Queens
by Jack Tamara
Summary: When Chase moved to glamorous Beverly Hills, life couldn't get any better. Until she meets the Lewallen twins. Not only are they the most popular girls at school, they're also her future stepsisters. And suddenly, nothing seems so glamorous anymore.
1. Chapter 1

The life of the rich and famous can be overwhelming—at least to those who aren't a part of it

**Hell is nothing compared her almighty wrath**

**(Author's Note: Please read and review! You may feel free to give me any criticism you want. Thanks for your time!)**

The sound of Jade Lewallen's blood-red pumps echoed across the wooden floor, each sound louder than the one before as her anger increased with each step she took. The noise of her heavy exhales of breath reverberated across the now silent house. By this time, everybody had already retreated to their places. From the moment Jade Lewallen had slammed the oak door to her father's study, the household staff knew to stay away unless they wanted to witness a major shit fit that would ultimately end in one of them being fired. No, it was safer to stay out of sight until Jade's anger had passed.

Many times in life, people had stopped to wonder at Jade Lewallen, daughter of world famous lawyer Mark Lewallen, the face behind her own makeup brand, leader of the school's most infamous clique, and self-proclaimed queen of Beverly Champion High School. But even though Jade was proud of herself for all of the above things, the first thing she'd tell anyone about herself wouldn't be any of them.

If they really had to know one thing about Jade Lewallen, it was that there was nothing that pissed her off more than news of another woman. And when Jade Lewallen was pissed, everyone involved had a nasty habit of suffering long-term and often irrevocable mental damage.

This time, it was Hannah. Hannah Van Buren. Or otherwise—Jade shuddered internally—her future step-mother. Normally, Jade was able get rid of her father's girlfriends faster than it took her to max out her American Express. In fact, it was practically a morning tradition for Jade to find yet another blonde wannabe actress sitting at the kitchen table each day she woke up.

After all, Mark Lewallen might snatch up girlfriends quick enough, but he was known to "dump" them even faster. With the help of some behind the scenes action from a certain someone, of course.

After so many years, Jade knew what to expect from her father's girlfriends. Blonde, twenty, with the mental capacity of an eggplant.

But, it seemed like he'd finally started to acknowledge the fact that there was something wrong, not to mention, weird about the fact that he couldn't keep the same woman for longer than twenty-four hours after she'd met his daughters. And now, enter Hannah van Buren, instead. She was still blonde, but she had three kids, had graduated from Berkley and was definitely nowhere near twenty. And apparently, this was her father's type now. Which, basically explained why Jade even knew about the existence of this woman.

And the result? Mark had basically foretold Jade's doom in three words: I'm getting married. She didn't even care about anything he'd said after that. Her mind had completely drove itself over the top trying to figure out what to do as she stared blankly at her father, who made her sit there for half an hour as he talked on and one about his plans.

Apparently, he'd already told her twin sister his "happy news" yesterday night, because Jade was the only one in the room who had to suffer through details of what was going to be "a modest, family-only wedding."

She didn't give a damn about how perfectly lovely Hannah and her kids were. And the "big, happy family"? She didn't buy that crap. As far as she was concerned, her big, happy family had ceased to exist the moment she found out that her lying son-of-a-bitch father hadn't even bothered to tell her he had a girlfriend until the ten minutes before she was about to show up on Jade's front doorstep.

And no matter how fabulous Jade was, even she couldn't think of a grand plan in ten minutes. Which meant that tonight, Jade was officially facing a night of sharing the second floor with four new strangers.

Ah, home sweet home at its finest. Not.

If Jade had it her way, Hannah and her kids would receive a nice kick in the ass from yours truly before Jade let them taint the Lewallen name.

She twisted her door knob open with unnecessary force, trying to envision Hannah's dumpy neck in its place. If only it was that easy to get rid of her, Jade's life would be set.

She'd hardly closed her door, when someone opened it again. Jade didn't even bother to turn her head. Only one other person could enter the room at a time like this.

"What do you think?" Arielle asked, coming into Jade's twelve hundred square feet bedroom in a flurry of Dior Ma Cherie.

Jade gave Arielle a once-over. It was the day after spring break, and also the day that the three Van Buren kids would be transferring to Beverly Champion High School.

At the thought of this, for the first time in the morning, Jade felt a sense of power surge up in her system. Now school, that would be an interesting. She couldn't wait to see what kind of losers Hannah's kids were. And far away from the prying eyes of her father, the possibilities were endless.

"Cool," Jade said absentmindedly. What had Arielle asked her again? She felt a turn in her bloodstream as ideas started spinning around in her head. Would stuffing her future step-sister's head down the toilet be too easy on her or totally been-there-done-that?

"You didn't even look," Arielle adjusted her shirt, reminding Jade of just how much she wanted to stuff her own sister's head down the toilet right now. Jade sighed exasperatedly. For once in her life, couldn't Arielle be less dependant on Jade? Her sister already looked gorgeous in a Trina Turk V-neck paired with a blazer on top of Sevens and a pair of Michael Kors cut-out wedges peeking through at the bottom. It was hard to be in the mood to gush over that when you were dressed in a wrinkled mini skirt and a pair of killer high heels you forgot to take off from yesterday night's partying. Jade squinted closely at her forehead, to see if all the champagne from yesterday's blissfulness had left an outbreak of skin problems on her forehead.

Arielle nervously blew air out when Jade just continued glaring at the mirror. She'd finally realized her mistake. Never attempt talking to Jade when she's in a shitty mood. Arielle sighed and examined her hair instead. Even though she'd only gotten her bangs cut two days ago—they were parted to the side and slanted to the left—she already hated the way they always fell into her eyes.

Jade eyed Arielle out of the corner of her eye. watching her blow her bangs out of her baby blues. Nobody but the two of them knew that Jade had actually considered getting her brown locks done the same. She'd changed her mind when she realized how hideously matchy-matchy they'd look. It was one thing to be twins and another to look like identical mirror images of each other.

Instead, Jade had hers cut in a pixie-style, which she now admired in the oval mirror. It was multi-layered and the tips grazed her collarbone. And faintly, there was a barely-there-but-still-noticeable streak of red, her favorite color. When she put her hair up, the sun almost made it glitter. Which explained why Jade had twisted her hair in a bun with cute pearl chopsticks securing it. She patted herself on the top of her head lightly when she had pushed the last chopstick in its place.

Jade turned away from her mirror and slid off her clothes, facing her closet. She rifled through the handful of designer bags splayed over the eggshell-white carpet. Thanks to her father's impromptu announcement, she'd left her closet in a state of disaster. Jade gently smoothed her poor Nanette Lepore black lace top, which had been smushed under Jade's new Balenciaga bag.

She ended up selecting a navy, strapless Lilly Pulitzer beaded dress, which she put on top of her white Joie cutoffs. Grabbing her black Kate Spade slingbacks and expertly spritzing her hair with Fekkai spray to make sure the bun stayed put, Jade slid on her Harry Winston diamond earrings, jabbing them into her ear with more force than necessary.

_Take that Hannah van Buren_, Jade thought savagely. She regretted it once she remembered that it was her own ear she was hurting and not Hannah's neck, though.

She checked her ear to make sure it wasn't bleeding and then turned to her sister. "What are we going to do?" she sighed, blowing a long stream of air out of her mouth.

"I don't know," Arielle bit her newly manicured nail, even though she wasn't supposed to, since she'd just gotten them touched up yesterday.

Jade glared at Arielle, who was sitting in Jade's chair, crossing her stupid stick legs in a pretzel shape like an innocent Barbie doll. It was so hard to be the brain for two people. What she wouldn't give to have a day without having to come up with all the ideas. Not that she was complaining or anything. After all, Arielle did what Jade told her to do, which actually came in handy a lot of times.

"Jade, relax a little." Arielle sighed dejectedly, seeing Jade's intense look, which was the face she put on when she was thinking too hard.

The truth was, Arielle was nervous about meeting the new kids. But unlike Jade, she was actually kind of excited. No matter how much she loved her twin, it was so lonely in the house, especially since her dad was always working on some life-changing case or another at his office. But three kids. Now, that sounded like a party to her.

"Arielle," Jade planted her hands on her hips. She stood so close, Arielle could have hugged her if she wanted to. Which she didn't. Not when Jade was glaring at her like that, " You can't be thinking that having those kids around will be fun."

Arielle shuddered internally. She'd always wondered if her sister had the uncanny ability to read minds. Not that that was even possible, but Jade still had the knack of hitting a little too close to home.

"No, of course not," Arielle pretended to scoff at the idea.

"Good. Because it would _suck_ if you chose them over me." Jade said, never taking her vibrant green eyes off Arielle.

Arielle looked away. She heard what was implied. She had to pick a side, and if she picked the wrong choice, she knew exactly whose life would suck afterwards.

"Aw, Jade. I'm right by you, a hundred times and over," Arielle swallowed and steeled her voice. " You know there's nothing that'd make me happier than to see the bitches dead."

"Good," Jade smiled, all traces of hostility gone.

Arielle grinned back weakly. She hadn't been lying when she said she'd side with Jade. Her sister was practically her only family. Arielle didn't know how she'd survive if she lost her too. But that was how it was with Jade. There were only two sides: with her or against her.

"Okay. So, I have two months to get rid of Her." Jade said, all business now. She brushed a strand of loose hair out of her eyes. Two months. Jade would have nightmares for days, trying to figure out what to do. Of course, if she failed, the after math would be too terrible to think about. In her mind, she ran over a mental list of the horror's she'd be facing:

A hideous bridesmaid dress probably to be found on the shelves of the Salvation Army

Three new brothers and sisters (this includes sharing- a lesson not taught in Beverly Hills kindergarten classes since the rule had always been "If you can't buy it yourself, you shouldn't even be here." )

Nights of knowing exactly what was happening five doors down the hallway in her father's bedroom

A permanent and possibly life-threatening brain disorder from dealing with all the above

It was enough motivational thinking for her.

Jade could've gone on and on, but the doorbell downstairs decided to ring at that moment.

Arielle quickly pushed past Jade and snapped the curtains open to get a curious glimpse to see who was the infamous Hannah van Buren, how her kids looked like, and exactly in what kind of fashion she was arriving in.

"She looks..." Arielle paused, her nose pressed against the clear glass windowpane. She was about to say "nice", but thought better of it, "...like she came from the slums," she finished instead. And it was true. Hannah had long, but dank hair, and her clothes had holes in them and random rips.

"Let me see," Jade nudged Arielle aside and tried to get a better look. She smirked. Hannah did look like total hobo. So did her flaming cherry head of a daughter, who was looking around lush, green yard. A third person got out of the car, probably one of the brothers. He immediately opened the trunk of the sad-excuse of a car and took out three dirt-brown bags that looked like they'd been sitting in the attic for a long time.

Beside her, Arielle saw Jade shuddering at seeing anything coming into her house without the customary Louis Vuitton or Yves Saint Laurent initials stamped all over it.

Jade watched silently as her father came out and hugged Hannah and kissed her on the lips. She felt a lump of disgust welled up inside of her. Did they have to do it where the whole entire damn neighborhood could see?

"What a slut," Arielle gripped Jade's wood shutter.

"Ugh," Jade was rendered incapable of making any sounds other than revulsion.

Down below, where the cherry-head girl was standing in between the roses and the gravel path, she suddenly squinted up from down below and shielded her eyes from the morning sun. A moment too late, Jade realized a second too late that she was looking at their window, and immediately snapped her shutters shut again.

"So, what do we do now?" Arielle flopped down onto a chaise lounge chair dramatically and leaned back, eyes closed.

"We wait and we observe." Jade sprayed herself with her customary Coco Chanel smell and did her inhaling and exhaling exercise that was supposed to calm her down. Her therapist had recommended she do it when she had the overwhelming urge to kill someone. Part of the exercise was to help Jade overcome her angst, so she didn't accidentally strangle the nearest person, which in this case, would've been poor Arielle.

"What are we observing?" Arielle drew her legs up onto the spotless white chair, and propped her chin onto her cupped palm.

"Anything. Everything. She's bound to have a weak spot somewhere." Jade tucked a loose brown lock behind her ear. This was where she came in. Jade Lewallen had a nasty habit of knowing just exactly where to hit a person for it to make its permanent mark.

Their father's last girlfriend had been an aspiring actress. All it took was the help of a picture and a tech freak and they'd sent a photo of her making out with an "anonymous" person to US Weekly. Her career was done before it even started. Jade had given herself a pat on the back for finishing that relationship in a record two hours.

A high-pitched squeal of laughter floated from downstairs, reminding Jade of what kind of job she was faced with.

Jade opened the shutters only a slit this time. "They're all inside. Let's use the back door." She swiped her Balenciaga off the rack, and flipped off the lights.

"But Jade, it's seven thirty. School doesn't start until eight thirty," Arielle protested, pointing at Jade's glass clock that hung on the purple wall.

"Yeah, but just wait until Mark starts calling for us to meet the van Burens. Then, I'll have to drive the three new kids to school. And we both know there is nothing more devastating than having to arrive at school with people that look like they've been picked off the farmlands of Pennsylvania." Jade said, cocking her eyebrow in the way that the girls at her school had practiced in front of their mirrors at home with no success.

"Fine, but we're getting Starbucks." Arielle grumbled, heading out the door with Jade.

"That's fine with me. I could use more than a cup right now," Jade sighed, strapping her bag behind her shoulder.

" So, any ideas yet?" Arielle said, as Jade unlocked and opened their back door. She looked behind her shoulder, just in case anybody was looking at them.

"No. Not yet," Jade said treading softly on the grass. She opened the lock on the gate and slipped through, tipping the security guard for pushing her BMW out of the garage without any sound.

"But don't worry. This hasn't failed me yet," Jade triple tapped her head and slid on her limited edition Gucci shades. The two of them stopped to stare at the tan car, parked to the right of the driveway. Inside, Jade could see stacks of papers and a paper cup of coffee with lip stains all over the edge, probably picked up from some road-side emergency gas station. The ones who sold it for ten cents a cup and had tiny bathrooms with no toilet paper and soap. It looked like the only kind of place stupid, life-wrecking Hannah van Buren could afford.

"Come on, let's go," Jade said, hoisting her bag over her shoulder and keying the engine. Arielle lingered at the car for a minute longer, squinting against the sunlight reflecting off the window. Something caught her eye. It was shiny, so the sun made it hard for her to see what it was.

"Arielle, let's go." Jade shouted over the engine noise.

Arielle ran and jumped inside. "Sorry, I thought I saw something...oh, never mind."

"Sure. Whatever you say," Jade steered the car out of their street and down another, not really in the mood to deal with her sister's hallucinations. She cranked open the radio, which was blasting some Pussycat Dolls song.

"You nervous?" Arielle bit her lip intensely, wishing desperately that she could bite her nail instead. But doing so would only confirm that _Arielle_ was nervous, and she didn't want Jade to know that.

"About the Hannah thing? No," Jade lied, choosing to pulse to the music instead. Then, she added for good measure, "Why would I be?"

"No reason," Arielle tossed her golden blond, curly locks. If Jade wasn't going to fess' up, neither was she.

Her sister didn't respond, either because she didn't want to, or because they were already at their destination. "Here we are," Jade slammed the horn down on her car, and stopped in front of a beautiful, white mansion.

Jade took a long look at the winding driveway, and then turned to Arielle, lowering her shades. "Listen, Ari. Look at us. What do we have to be nervous about? Everybody would kill to be you and me."

Arielle shrugged. She wasn't so sure about that. Right now, Arielle didn't even want to be herself.

Jade slid her sunglasses back on, interpreting Arielle's silence as agreement. "We're infamous, gorgeous, and maybe even a little bit crazy. And we're one of a kind."

"Damn right," interrupted a smooth voice.

They turned around to find one of their best friends, Winter Belmont grinning behind them. Her raven black hair went straight down to her ribcage and her golden skin shone in the sunlight.

"Hey sexy," the two of them chirped.

"Hey gorgeous. Miss me?" she blew a kiss at the two of them, and they blew one back.

"Not at all. Beverly Hills was just as crazy as the Hampton." Jade geared the car up again.

"Yeah right. The two of you are buying me that pair of Christian Louboutins that I've wanted since forever." Winter laughed, throwing her head back so that her hair rippled in the wind.

"No way. I got sixteen. Beat that." Jade said.

"Eighteen." Arielle chimed in.

"Twenty- three." Winter crossed her legs. "It's amazing what kind of disaster a girl like me on the beach can create."

"Twenty-three." Jade whistled. "You've earned those Louboutins."

It was a game between the three of them that whoever had the most guys hitting on them at the end of the week would get treated to anything of her desire. Through the time that they'd known each other, they've all had their ups and downs.

Jade dialed up the volume of the stereo a couple notches. As long as Mark paid the bills, she might get a pair of Jimmy Choos while she was at it. After all, everyone knows that the biggest thing in spring was to shop for summer.

"Now that sounds more like a party to me," Winter grinned.

In response, Jade turned up the volume to the loudest it could possibly go.

Watch out Beverly Hills Champion High. The three sexiest girls are coming, and they want to make sure that everybody damn well knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

The life of the rich and famous can be overwhelming—at least to those who aren't a part of it

**The life of the rich and famous can be overwhelming—at least to those who aren't a part of it**

**(Author's Note: Please read and review my story! I appreciate every comment, and it'll help motivate me to write more. Thanks!)**

The house looked like a museum. That was Chase's first thought. Her second was that this house—to put it modestly—was going to be her new home. If she had thought that the house on the outside, with its gazebo, roses, acres of lush grass, exquisite flowers and trees were special, she had changed her mind. Inside, she could see the graceful curves of the stairways, and the delicate paintings that hung on the wall. Behind a tapestry, she could see hundreds and hundreds of bottles of wine peeking out of tiny cubbyholes. Talk about a modern twenty-first century palace.

Looking at all of this, reality her for the first time ever, and she realized that all of this that she was ogling at would soon be part of her home. The thought itself was overwhelming. But then, Chase pinched herself, this was Beverly Hills. And in Beverly Hills, they took everything to a whole new level.

Her worn tennis shoes quietly squeaked across the polished high-gloss floor, and she had a sudden urge to take them off and let her feet sink into the plush carpet on the stairway. Not that she'd ever do that—talk about being over enthused— but nonetheless, Chase could barely contain her excitement. Her mom, her two brothers, and her had been sharing a cramped, dilapidated shack downtown, so needless to say, things couldn't get much worse. Which was one of the reasons why Chase was so eager to let go of her past and start fresh.

Three months ago, the fridge had been empty, the rent had been late, and school attendance had depended on whether if there was any gas in the car or if Chase was strong enough to run two miles on an empty stomach. All in all, Chase could only count up a tiny handful of good things in her old life:

a) She'd never had to worry about bulimia or anorexia since her problem had always been under-eating, not over.

b) She'd had pretty much a free reign on things like bedtime since her mom was too busy trying to pay the bills to care.

c) She never had to go to school if she didn't have time to do the homework from yesterday night.

Besides that, her life had pretty much sucked.

But then, Mark Lewallen had come along, and he was everything they could've hoped for. Kind, caring, and someone who could help with child support. And most of all, someone who was willing to look past their lack of money, who was going to make them all somebody instead of nobodies.

And now, three months later, look at where she was now. The difference between the before and after pictures was stunning. In other words, life was just starting to get a lot better.

Chase had already decided that when she became a famous actress one day and was ever going to write her autobiography, her crummy past would just be something she'd use to motivate people. _See?_ she'd be able to say. _I came from dirt, but look at where I am now!_

A girl can dream.

And the man who was going to make it all happen and fall into place was now extending his arm towards her. "Mark Lewallen," her mother's fiancé offered a hand, and Chase shook it politely. His hand felt warm and soft against her small, pale one.

He did the same to her brother, Carson. "And what happened to Blake?" Mark asked, gently guiding the three of them into the dining room. That is, if a normal dining room was supposed to have pure gold sparkling off the rim of its plates.

"Uh, he's being fussy right now." her mom said quietly. "I thought it'd be better to let him cool down." Hannah smiled a smile that didn't quite touch her mouth.

Chase wanted to give s frustrated sigh. Describing her brother's anger as a hussy fit was putting it mildly. Not unless, you called getting stoned and drunk the day before to protest having to move to Beverly Hills a little hussy fit. And after what happened last time Mark had come to visit them, Chase was surprised that Mark even wanted to know how Blake was.

Nobody said it'd be easy to raise a teenager.

While her mom and Chase couldn't wait to come here, they'd only got Blake here by dragging him into the car. And the only reason they'd been successful was because he was still nursing his hang-over from yesterday night. Why anyone would be mad about living in ten acres worth of land with its own personal outdoor pool, movie theater and fitness center was a mystery to Chase.

"Chase, do you want to go change before school?" Her mother whispered to her. Chase glanced down at her jeans and the white shirt she'd gotten at the local thrift store, and then eyed her mom. Chase had been around long enough to know that her mom didn't care about how Chase was dressed. She just wanted Chase out of the room, so she could talk to Mark.

"That's an excellent idea." Mark boomed, rubbing his chin stubble, "I'll have Carla get you something to wear."

"Oh, she brought spare clothes." her mom said in an almost embarrassed tone, even though she knew perfectly well that Chase's spare clothes were in even worst condition than the ones she had on right now.

"Really, it's no problem. My daughters have more than enough than they need, and it'd help you fit in more with them," Mark waved the air to show that it was no problem to him.

But Chase knew that she wouldn't be leaving the house until she had something decent on. After all, Beverly Champion High had accepted her only because Mark Lewallen had personally donated a new wing for the school's art program. And after spending a million dollars just to get her in, it would be inviting gossip for it to look like he couldn't even afford a new pair of jeans for his new step-daughter.

Not that a whole new look would stop people from accepting the invitation to spread rumors, or anything.

"Right this way, miss," A girl that Chase assumed was Carla gently tugged her elbow up the long, winding staircase.

Chase stumbled up the stairs, trying not to gawk at the dazzling glass chandeliers that hung above her head.

"Right here, miss," Carla threw open a door and Chase couldn't help but stare in awe in spite of herself. The size of the room could've fit her entire high school. There was a pretty, four-tapestry bed with white and navy sheets and silk curtains the adorned it. She rang her hands over a set of chestnut desk. The bookshelf, bureau drawers, and doors were all made of the same wood. Chase paused in front of a life size mirror. She looked into it, and saw a dirty girl with a purple background, who clearly didn't belong in this place. Not wanting to dwell on that, she looked away, and found herself staring right at the bay window and the balcony outside it.

Chase quickly pushed the window open and looked outside. She could see the outdoor pool and Jacuzzi from here. About a hundred meters away, there was a separate, smaller house where the maids all slept. It was breath-taking. If anyone had ever wanted to see something like this in her old neighborhood, they'd have to get a travel brochure to Hawaii.

"Miss," Carla the maid, who'd been silently watching Chase, said timidly, "There's something you should know."

"What?" Chase said, reluctantly drawing her eyes away from the scene below her.

"The girls here, be careful, miss." Carla said quietly, like she was scared to be found talking bad about her employers.

"Oh," Chase was stunned, "Why?" It was hard to imagine someone that could have so much in life and not be grateful for it.

"I've been around for a long time. There's something not quite right about one of them." Carla said, lowering her voice even more, and repeatedly checking behind her.

"Like what?" Chase leaned in closer. What was it about her new sisters that was so mortifying?

Carla shook her head furiously like she was trying to erase it, "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

She was clearly regretting what she had already told Chase, because she quickly exited the room the way she'd come from.

Staring behind her, Chase blinked for a few seconds. I'm going crazy, she decided, and turned back. Not wanting to think about what Carla had said, she opened the door nearest to her, and saw what was approximately the size of her old trailer home.

Except that instead of sparse furniture, and old newspapers, there were hundreds and hundreds of shirts and jeans and clothes all organized by color, sleeve length, and type. It wasn't until Chase nearly tripped over a Nordstrom bag that she saw that the floor was uncharacteristically messy.

She reached inside one of the bags and pulled out a breathtaking purple jersey dress with the price tag still dangling on it. She didn't even have to ask to know that it was probably worth more than all her yearly savings from baby-sitting added up together.

She quickly ditched the white shirt and put it on along with the nearest jeans she could find and a pair of ballet flats that had been tucked into a pink shoebox. Then, shouldering a bag that had big initials stamped all over it, she looked at herself in the mirror. Not bad, she decided. Maybe she even looked like someone who could fit in with all the posh kids in school. Chase decided that if she tried really hard, she could even kind of fool herself.

Chase exited the enormous closet, carefully making sure not to trip over the dozens of bags that still lay on the floor. Whoever this room belonged to obviously had good taste in clothes. Chase wondered if she'd meet the girl at school, and if Chase would know that it was the girl she'd borrowed the clothes from. Maybe. Maybe not.

She closed the oak door gently behind her, and bounded downstairs.

"Oh my goodness," her mother said, looking up from where she'd been talking with Mark.

"Do I look different?" Chase smiled nervously, running her hands over the jeans, which had a fancy horse shoe in the back pockets.

"Absolutely stunning." Mark smiled, the tips of his eyes crinkling. Chase blushed. If Mark was this flattering all the time, it was no wonder that her mom wanted to get married so quickly.

"Thanks," Chase went over to give her mother a peck on the cheek, and shook hands with Mark again. She'd feel weird kissing him on his bushy cheek.

"You better get going, young lady, traffic's pretty heavy in the morning." Mark said, patting her on the top of her head.

"Okay. Bye." Chase slowly stepped backwards, out of the door and into the California sunshine, which seemed to shine 24/7.

"Oh, honey, here's your lunch money. And a new notebook. And this, just in case." Her mom gingerly handed her a cell phone. Chase took one look at it and gasped. It was a pretty pink razor, adorned with diamonds. She'd been dying for a cell phone since she saw Verizon advertising on her friend's television.

"Thank you," Chase swallowed, gently taking the phone from her mother's outstretched hand.

"Don't thank me. Thank Mark." Her mom advised.

"Thanks Mark." Chase stroked the cover gingerly the way someone stroked a baby's cheek. She liked the way her fingers felt when it gently bumped over the curved diamonds.

"No problem. You'll be fine in school. If you want to, you could always ask for Jade or Arielle Lewallen. They'll help you out." Mark told her.

She wishes. But we'll give Jade and Arielle the chance to introduce themselves to her.

"Okay, I will." Chase ran out of the doorway and out onto the driveway, nearly tripping over the new shoes. She vaguely wondered whose shoes they were: Jade's or Arielle's? Pretty names, she thought to herself.

"Hey." She said as she flung open the car door and carefully wedged herself into the backseat, stuffing her bag into the middle seat.

"What took you so long?" Carson was slouched down in his seat, still wearing the same clothes, which happened to be baggy shorts, a faded T-shirt, and a backwards hat. Chase rolled her eyes. Her brother probably thought that it was still cool to be dressed gangster. Thank goodness Blake had got over that phase years ago. Now, the only relic was the earring he wore on his ears, and even Chase had to admit that it looked pretty cool.

"Oh, you know, getting dressed." Chase shrugged, choosing instead to sneak a peek at Blake, wondering if he'd gotten over himself yet.

"Man, women!" Blake grumbled up front, crushing his cigarette with his fingers angrily.

Apparently not.

He threw the still-burning joint onto the smooth driveway. Seeing the tiny flame on the otherwise impeccable stone gave him a feeling of satisfaction.

The chauffeur eased the car out of the driveway. "So, starting your first day at school. Are you guys excited?" Chase straightened up slightly. The driver sounded more excited about their first day of school than she did.

"Yeah," Chase said.

Blake snorted, "Hell, no." Let his sister be all chipper and happy about having to uproot their entire life.

"Sorry, he hates school." Chase apologized on her brother's behalf. She didn't want the driver to go and spread word about how rude their family was.

"Oh," he said. They spent the rest of the ride making small talk to fill up the empty space. Chase eyed both her brothers as often as she could without getting caught. She was in the middle of talking about allergies—how in the world did she get to that topic?—when a sound rendered the entire line pretty much incapable of talking anymore. The noise was loud enough to shatter the windows of every car around them. Chase looked out the window to her right, and saw a red-hot convertible cutting everyone off.

The driver was a girl about her age with her light brown, chestnut hair down to above her breasts. Her sunglasses were on, and Chase noticed that she had a cup of Latte in one hand with another hand on the wheel, which was cutting people off right and left.

In the passenger seat, there was a blonde with her curly hair blowing all around her small face. Her hand was pressed against the car and she patted her hair every few minutes as if to reassure herself that it still maintained its level of perfection.

In the back, a girl had kicked her feet onto the empty seats beside her, wrinkling her bright, fuchsia colored toe nails. The mane of midnight black hair blowing away from her face was like the kind you saw in hair commercials.

A new song came on the radio, and she saw the girl in the backseat leap up and reach down a hand to pull the blonde up with her. When the car moved again, Chase was almost positive that the two would fall back down. But they didn't. Instead, they grated their hips against the other's and lip-synched to the lyrics. It wasn't until the driver purposely slammed on the brakes that the two sat down again.

Chase watched as the convertible attempted to cut their car too. Considering how many years they'd had their truck, it probably wasn't a hard thing to do.

"Hey," Blake yelled when he saw them, reaching across to slam the horn.

"What are you doing?" Kevin hissed, prying his fingers off the button. "You don't know what you're doing. I could get fired for this."

Blake glowered and then slouched in his seat, but didn't try to do anything.

The four of them didn't say anything as Kevin finally eased the car around the drop-off. Chase had previously wondered if she might not be able to find the administration building. But now, she could see that it stood in the very front of the school's entrance, with a brightly painted sign. The three of them got out and headed towards the principal's office.

Chase walked inside, feeling very much like she was walking into a prison. Inside, there was a lady behind the receptionist desk that looked old enough to be a great-grandmother.

"Name?" the grandma looked up from her horn-rimmed glasses when she heard them approaching.

"Chase, Carson, and Blake van Buren." She answered for the three of them.

"Ah. Go on in. Mrs. Cracow's waiting for you." she gave the three of them a withering glance, and then went back to typing furiously on her computer. Chase glanced nervously at the clock. It wasn't like she was late or anything.

She bit her lip, and pushed open the door.

"Ah, Misters and Ms. van Buren, I've been waiting for you," a voice said.

Chase nearly jumped when she was the diminutive woman sitting behind the large mahogany desk.

"Mrs. Cracow, school principal." she told them all.

"Ah, and what are these people here for?" another, rougher voice asked in a state of utter boredom. Chase thought she detected a faint British accent.

When her eyes had finally adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw the outline of a muscular silhouette. Wait, no. Her heart gave a tiny flip. Not just one silhouette, but _three._ Three sexy males all looking at them. At her.

Lowering her eyes, she slowly raked her fingers through her hair and licked her lips.

Hello gorgeous!

"Mr. Ferrarra, I'll beg you to keep your tone civil in my presence." Principal Cracow hissed. Everything about her reminded Chase of a snake. Her hair hung in limp, little strips, her voice was thin and reedy, and the way she moved was more like she slithered. "Welcome," she said extending a hand, which Chase hesitatingly shook. It felt cold and unfriendly.

"Normally, I'd sit down with you and discuss the rules of decorum at Beverly Champion High School. But today, I seem to have run into some unexpected trouble with some of my students. However, I sincerely hope you will not judge our school by their improper conduct." She threw the three of them a glare.

"So, I'll just have to settle with going through the basic ones now, and trust you to go over the student packet when you get home." Mrs. Cracow finished, promptly producing from her drawer three thick packets. Chase's heart sank. She was supposed to read through that whole entire thing?

"One of my utmost rule of importance is that students will always be on time to class, as it is important to show respect for not only your fellow classmates, but also your _teachers_." She emphasized the last word so hard that Chase swear she could see spittle flying out in between her teeth.

She gave the three guys and long, hard look that could've burned through ice. One of them squirmed a bit uncomfortably at being scrutinized like that.

"Okay. So, it was only a little accident. Could happen to anybody," the guy farthest to the right shrugged.

"You boys damaged Mr. Holder's car on your way to school today by crashing it. Such shameful, improper conduct." the principal sneered, seemed to momentarily forget that she was in the classroom with three new students that she was supposed to be making a good first impression on.

"So we'll get our parents to pay for the damage. No harm, no foul." The boy in the middle drawled, splaying his hands on the chair handles. His voice was dripping with tedium.

"Then you'll be happy to know that not only are your parents to pay for the damage wrought upon Mr. Holder's vehicle, but you are also obliged to serve an hour of detention after school." The principal continued, looking happier, now that she was dealing out punishments.

"What?" The middle one leaned forward in his chair, no longer cocky."One hour of detention after school." Principal Cracow seemed to relish making them wait. "Every single day of the week. Be there."

The one closest to Chase slammed his palm down onto the handle of his chair and stood up. "That's insane!" he shouted. "What am I going to do about soccer practice? And the championships?"

"Mr. Ferrarra, then you may serve it one hour early in the morning. And unless anybody wants me to lengthen your punishment, you may all be excused." Principal Cracow grinned like a proud canary.

The three other guys stood up, threw one last glare at the principal, and then stomped out.

Chase, not sure what to do, also stood up, scraping her chair back.

The principal looked up at the noise, "Oh. Right. Welcome to Beverly Hills Champion High School." She said in a monotone, like she'd already given the same, encouraging words to countless of people before, pretending to smile and be enthusiastic.

Chase gave her a smile just as fake in return. "Thanks," she said before exiting the door behind the three guys.

Some kind of welcome indeed. She was still invisible. And even with her clothes, she just couldn't fit in like everyone else. She hadn't fit in at her old school, and she didn't belong here. Maybe she was just an outcast where ever she went. She'd thought that moving here would've finally changed her life. But nothing had changed.

She was still a nobody. And from the looks of it, she was going to stay that way.

Just wait until she realizes that in this town, it's better to be a nobody than a somebody. But most of them don't realize that until they've gone to far, and have only just begun to fall.


	3. Chapter 3

Filthy Rich Kids Can Get Away with Filthy Things

**Filthy Rich Kids Can Get Away with Filthy Things**

**Author's Note: Please read and then review. I appreciate every comment. Thanks!**

West Tyson narrowed his eyes as he nearly ran out of Mrs. Crack-whore's office. The atmosphere in there was enough to last him a lifetime, thank you very much. Lately, it seemed like he was practically spending his entire social life with that woman.

That's what happens when you spend your free time totaling other people's cars.

"That was retarded. I can't believe this is how I get to come back to school after spring break." West grumbled as he trudged out. Slowly, he could hear the noise coming from inside the school halls as they approached the Roman-inspired arches that graced the front of the school. On it was inscribed in an elegant, loopy script, "Knowledge is the food of the soul."

Hah. That's a good one.

"That bitch can go screw herself for all I care." Duke flexed his arms in a way that showed off his new muscles. Now that he'd crashed a teacher's car, got sent to the principal's office, and received detention all in a single hour, he felt much more awake now. And it wasn't the good kind either. It was the I'm-totally-screwed-now awake.

"I think we made a huge improvement on the car: now people actually know it's a piece of junk that's trying to pass for a Chevy." Ryder said, admiring their morning's handiwork, as they passed the teacher parking lot. Compared to the number of BMWs and Ferraris in the student parking lot, the teacher's was in a sad state.

He'd feel bad for what Duke did, but considering that Mr. Holder had given him a D on his last essay, he really couldn't give a shit. Even a week's worth of detention couldn't ruin his day. As Ryder saw it, a little screw-up didn't have to screw the entire day up.

Well, at least not _his_ day.

On Ryder's other side, Duke felt a familiar vibration in his pocket and flipped out his cell phone. He spun it in his palm, and opened the incoming text message.

Jade Lewallen: Where r u? I need u here ASAP.

He frowned and then fired back a response.

"Okay. What does she want?" West asked, noticing Duke's grimace. When Duke frowned like that, it could only mean that She had something bad in mind. The last time she'd text messaged Duke about something like that, she'd ended up running Laura Hopkins from their AP Government Econ class in tears.

"She's calling an emergency meeting." Duke murmured. He'd been around long enough to know that Jade's emergency meeting wasn't a good sign. All she ever wanted to do was plan over and over again. Besides, she always hated their ideas anyway, so what was the point of showing up?

"An emergency meeting," Ryder paused to look at the other two with a this-is-so-lame expression, "right now?"

He looked up hopefully at the sky to see heaven was taking any pity on him. If it was, he prayed, please send a shower of thunderbolts down to kill him. Right now. Before Jade could.

Thunderbolts in California? Doubt it.

"Yeah. Before school starts." Secretly, Duke also failed to see the point of holding a meeting ten minutes before class. But, as Jade liked to remind him, as a member of their group, it was important that they were all in this together. And if he didn't bother to show up, well, he had no doubt that the next time there was an emergency meeting, it was going to be his turn to be the victim. And he knew for a fact that no matter male or female, it was a fate worse than death. He'd seen it happen countless of times.

"What if we just pretend that we didn't have time to go to her little meeting?" Ryder said under his breath. Nobody in their group knew better than he did how it was like to be the Jade's target. Two years ago, he'd moved here from England, and had became the immediate victim. It was only last year that he'd been accepted into their group after he'd become the soccer team's star forward and therefore, the new heartthrob of the school. Only then was he forgiven for accidentally spilling water down Arielle's shirt the first day in science lab.

Sounds like someone was trying to find out more than the ph level of water.

"Too late. She's already seen us," West said, pointing to the twisted eucalyptus tree that Jade had marked as her territory. Whenever somebody else tried to sit there, Jade would give them one of her you-are-about-to-die-a-very-painful-death look, and the person would immediately back off, no questions asked.

If only they could do the same.

"Here we go again," Ryder sighed, as the three of them trudged up to the tree. Jade was already sitting there Indian style, with Winter and Arielle on both sides of her. When she saw them approaching, she scowled.

"I'd ask what took you guys so long, but I have a feeling I don't want to know." Jade scowled as they sat down to form a little group circle. "Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures. Which, as you all know, is why we're all here."

Unfortunately for three guys who would rather be somewhere else.

"Our dad's getting married," Arielle said bluntly, looking up from where she'd been playing with some blades of grass. She'd yank a chunk out of the ground and then release it into the wind.

West wanted to yawn. Not this problem again.

"So why do you need us?" Duke laid down on the ground, and stared up at the sky. Whenever Jade looked like she was in for a long we-have-to-destroy-them talk, he'd try to find something to concentrate on until she was done. Duke stared at the clouds, trying to see what kind of shapes they made. He counted them out inside his head: bird, pillow...

"I need you to help me track down Hannah's kids. It's their first day here, so if you just look for people walking around looking like the homeless, there's a ninety-nine percent chance it's probably them." Jade snapped a twig straight in half and then proceeded to snap it into halves and halves again.

Well, at least the anger management therapy seems to be working.

"Wait, what happened to the other one percent?" Winter looked up from where she'd been cupping her chin in her palm.

"That's for people like Jenna Craig and Tanya Nelson, who think that wearing baggy T-shirts and fishnets are ways of expressing their artistic side." Jade answered, earning a smirk from both Winter and Arielle.

"Wait, we saw them," West shoved Duke, who was still on the ground.

"Jenna Craig and Tanya Nelson?" Arielle wrinkled her perfect ski-slope nose.

"No, the three new kids in Cracow's office," Ryder said, suddenly remembering what had happened this morning. That girl hadn't looked like a hobo to him, "That girl who had a nice ass."

Jade glared at him, "Let's see how nice it is when my Jimmy Choos kick it right out of Beverly Hills."

Everybody else wisely said no more. One of the reasons they tolerated this was because if they didn't, it'd be their ass she was kicking next. And when she did, it would be a bruise that would never heal itself again.

"So that's it. We already saw them," West finally said, to break the silence that had fallen over the circle. Was he still supposed to stay here? If that was all she wanted, he was more than willing to go back to oblivion.

"Well, observe them," Jade snapped, "Oh, and one more thing. Don't let them know that you're watching them. Don't even talk to them if you don't have to," Jade paused and looked around at everyone, "But if you do, be nice, but the one thing you're looking for is signs of weakness."

"Like what?" West said exasperatedly. This was what girls were supposed to do. Plot to get even and ruin each other's lives. Let them do this kind of stuff. He couldn't have cared more if Mark Lewallen turned out to be Hollywood's biggest closet homosexual as long as the name West Tyson didn't crop up during the field day that the press would have if something like that came out.

"I don't know. Something. Something they care about or want. Those kinds of things." Jade said just as the five-minute-passing bell rang. She stood up and smoothed out the back of her Joie cutoffs, and checked it for grass stains.

The three of them got up lazily and headed away from Jade as fast as they could before she could tell them to do something else.

"She needs to chill out," Ryder muttered after checking behind his shoulder to make sure that Jade had gone the other way. Life was much simpler back before he met Jade. Sometimes he wondered if his life had been better before Jade had decided that he was worthy of being in her life.

Duke stopped at his locker and twirled the lock expertly. "Aw, give her a break."

Ryder stopped in front of his own locker and looked over at his friend, "Oh. Sorry. I forgot he has to like her." Ryder snickered to West. West shook his head. It was such a pity that Duke was in a relationship with someone who could probably make his life miserable if he ever had any thoughts about breaking up with her. But then, he'd gotten himself into this situation in the first place.

"I can hear you," Duke taunted, hitting Ryder with his binder.

"Just so you know, you've basically gone ahead and screwed yourself over," West said, putting both hands up by his face like he was surrendering.

"Yeah, and keep in mind that you will never be able to break up with her and live it down." Ryder continued. "Man, to be with her for –whoa!" He lunged to the side, grabbed a tiny wrist, and yanked it back.

"What do we have here? Hey, you guys, check it out. It's the new kid!" He called out to Duke and West, who'd gone ahead.

The two of them slowly doubled back so that all three of them towered over her.

So this was the girl they were supposed to be tracking. The three of them simultaneously checked her out.

Oh, man.

They all grinned at each other wolfishly. What's-her-name had said to be nice to the new kids, right?

They could do that. No problem.

"Ah, so, new kid. What's your name?" West turned to her and put his arm against the row of lockers, with one foot posed in the back of the other, the way that was supposed to display the best of his physical characteristics.

How suave.

"Uh, Arielle Lewallen." she said softly, her green eyes darting around nervously. She glanced down momentarily at Ryder's hand, which was still encircling her wrist. He saw where she was looking, but he didn't let her go. Instead, he held on even tighter, causing her to squirm slightly.

"You guys, we have a liar on our hands," West whistled. Arielle Lewallen, huh? She really must be new to his town to not know how obviously clueless she was. Poor thing.

She paled when she heard that her lie had been exposed. "How do you know?" she demanded.

"We know Arielle Lewallen, and believe me, she doesn't have your pretty red hair," Ryder said, fingering a strand of it. When he looked closely, he could almost see some dark blond streaks. It reminded him of strawberries and condensed milk.

"Really? Then you must know her twin, Jade Lewallen too," the girl shifted her binders back and forth between her arms.

"You could say that," West interjected smoothly before the other two could get a word in. _Believe me, you don't want to know more than that_, he thought. He certainly didn't want to be the one to ruin her first day.

Aw. How considerate of him.

"Do you know where they are? I'm supposed to find them," the girl bit her lip nervously. Between the four of them, they were starting to attract attention in the hallways.

Ryder ignored the hurt look on Mandy's face as she tracked his hand to the new girl's wrist and they all exchanged a look over her head. No way were they going to present her to Jade all wrapped like Christmas had come early. No effing way.

"Uh, no. But _we_ can help you," Ryder casually rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and flexed his arms.

The girl looked doubtful. "For people who crash other people's cars, you guys are awfully nice," she commented suspiciously, darting her aqua eyes back between the three of them.

Ryder and West both looked at Duke. No wonder the girl was so freaked out. She probably thought they were going to send her crashing into the wall, or something. "Hey, we can be nice when we _want_ to." West said in an almost insulted tone.

Which was actually almost never. Not that they were going to tell her, or anything.

"Okay. Then can you tell me where room D143 is?" she asked, taking only a slight sneak peek at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand. Or what was left of the soggy, wet mess.

"Of course I can," Ryder assured her, as he winked at the other two, and motioned to them that he would handle it, leaving them behind. After all, he was only doing what Jade Lewallen told him to do.

Of course, Jade had made it pretty clear that she didn't want any of them being on friendly terms with her future family members. In fact, Ryder vaguely remembered that she was out to destroy them. Which would make the girl an enemy to all of them.

He discreetly checked her out again and then slowly reached a hand to guide her through the noisy hallways, using the lower part of her back. After all, you know what they say. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Right?


	4. Chapter 4

If You Can't Eat It, Then Wear It

**If You Can't Eat It, Then Wear It**

**Author's Note: Please read and review. I appreciate every comment. Thanks!**

The greasy smell of baked potato fritters and the over-cheesed pizzas wafted out as Arielle pulled on the cool, brass handle to the cafeteria. She picked her way through the endless hordes of people rushing in, glad to get away from the over-air conditioned classrooms.

Looking away from the row of appetizing cookies and delicacies, she was turning to the sushi bar when she was saved from having to file to the back of the line. She saw that Winter was already there in front of the plastic-dome covered food platters, a beige tray in her hand. Winter crooked her fingers from the line, and Arielle ducked under the chains to meet her.

"Hey." Winter said, grabbing a pair of chopsticks from the sushi bar to add to her plate. Since Jade had deemed that the school's daily hamburger and fries intake as completely unacceptable, they'd only been allowed to eat from the salad and the sushi bar. And because Winter hated the way that she wasn't allowed to have any ranch dressing on her salad—too much fatty oils—the only choice she had left was the sushi bar.

"Have you seen them?" Arielle whispered, leaning over while her eyes searched the crowd. She'd already seen the girl first period, but that was about it. No signs of the other two.

Winter shook her head. "No. I spent the morning in the nurse's office."

"Why?" Arielle frowned. Winter always made up an excuse to go to the nurse when she wasn't "feeling well." Like the time she hadn't bothered to study for her Mesopotamia quiz.

"I forgot to finish Duncan's history project." Winter sighed almost sadly. She would've felt bad for wasting all that faith her parents had in her (first female president or some other crap), but when the world was at your fingertips, you're supposed to take it and not think twice about it. Then she looked up again at Arielle, "My cramps conveniently lasted through the entire period."

"How fortunate," Arielle muttered, grabbing her own stomach. Why hadn't she thought of that during first period? Then, she would've been able to gossip with Winter behind Mrs. Santiago's back instead having to sit through two hours, learning about all the gory details of the Alamo. Would learning about it now do anything to change what had already happened? Answer: No. Therefore, Arielle was forced to conclude that the entire class period had been complete bullshit.

"Did _you_ see them?" Winter asked pointedly. Arielle's face was going into a zoned out expression, which usually meant that she was having another conversation with herself. The only reason that Winter knew that was because Arielle had once accidentally said it out loud while the two of them were walking through the halls.

The two of them had gone back to grab Winter's fur, Anna Sui jacket because it had been raining outside. Winter had been so caught up talking about how anal her mother had been that morning that she hadn't realized that Arielle was completely silent until Winter looked back and saw the same zoned out expression on her friend's face.

"Ari?" Winter had whispered, afraid that Arielle was going into post-heart attack stage. She had racked her brain, trying to remember what her freshmen health course had said about the process of reviving someone if they should stop breathing, and came up with nothing. If she remembered correctly, she'd spent that class watching Arielle and Jade text each other across the room and feeling jealous that she couldn't be a part of their secret giggles and exchanges.

"I'm going to have to cancel on Queens." Arielle had murmured, running her fingers through her golden curls. She seemed to have blocked out Winter entirely. Her eyes were unmoving as she stared straight ahead, blankly. "And then I should pick up the dozen of chrysanthemums. They should be in by now."

When Winter heard that, she even remembered feeling annoyed. It was sad, now that she thought about it, but true.

_Hello, Arielle. What do chrysanthemums have anything to do with my mom yelling at me? _

Winter had wanted to shake her friend on the shoulder. She could've imagined how pissed off she would've been if she hadn't noticed then that Arielle had silent tears running down both sides of her beautiful face.

"It's useless," Arielle had said, sobbing. When Winter had nudged her in the shoulder blades, she saw that Arielle's fingernails had clawed into her arms so much that the was a slight trail of blood running.

If Arielle hadn't looked so tortured, Winter would've found it almost funny later, after she'd gotten over herself.

_Seriously, Ari. Talking to yourself? And I thought that was something everyone got over back in first grade_, Winter would've joked later if Arielle hadn't scared the shit out of her.

But Winter had been so frightened that she'd never brought it up again. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what Arielle had been talking about. And since Arielle had quickly wiped away the tears, and resumed her normal face afterwards, it was kind of pointless to bring it up again.

It was the first time that Winter had realized that this was what happened when Arielle was angry. And it scared her more than Jade. Jade took her anger out on other people, but Arielle too it out on herself to deal with it.

Winter wasn't sure what she would do if Arielle had another meltdown in the middle of the cafeteria right now.

But thankfully for Winter, Arielle immediately snapped back to the present. The two of them carefully maneuvered through the crowds while balancing their lunch trays on one arm and using the other to grip the shoulder strap of their designer bags.

Arielle considered the question that Winter had asked her. She felt like any van Buren question was a trick one. If she lied, then Jade would find out and Arielle would have to suffer. If she told the truth, then Jade would keep on quizzing her and she would suffer nonetheless.

As Arielle saw it, she was screwed either way.

"Yeah," Arielle said, deciding to go with the truth. Of the two, this was the more desirable option. In truth, Arielle had sat in the back, and watched the girl nervously tap her foot on the floor repeatedly. Maybe Jade would hear her out and leave it at that instead of getting her to analyze foot-tapping and how it was ultimately deadly, or something.

The two of them slapped their trays down on the glass table tops with a smack and sat down in a perfectly synchronized motion. If anyone had been looking at them, they would've seen two heads—one gold and one ebony—swing back down again.

When they sat down, Ryder and West both looked up from where they'd been having an in-depth conversation. Both of their arms were folded and their faces tilted down. Sometimes, Arielle felt like she and Jade weren't the only twins around here. Lately, she'd begun noticing that their movements often mirrored one another's.

"So, how'd it go?" West asked Winter, smirking discreetly to Ryder in a I-know-what-you-did way.

Winter shook her head to show that she didn't have anything to bring to the table at all, and the other two resumed their conversation. Hearing the two boys joke around with something she couldn't contribute to at all was boring. She looked around greenhouse-like lunch hall. On the outside, it had big, glass panes on the side that jutted out into the school courtyard. On the inside, clear panes were set on the marble table, and the seat felt nice and cool beneath her. All around, framed paintings hung on the white wall and Winter could see splays of bags on the floor, providing one of the only color sources in the room.

"Hey," Jade said, swooping down out of nowhere with Duke in tow, and sat down on the girl's side smoothly. "How's everyone today?"

Translation: Depending on what you've gotten done and how happy I am with it will determine how everyone will be for the rest of the day.

"Yeah, Ryder. How are you today?" Duke said in a mimic of a high-pitched voice, with the same knowing smile on his face as West had.

In response, Ryder shoved Duke in the arm.

"Yeah, did you get her digits?" West taunted on Ryder's other side. "Are you going to ask her out?"

"Did everyone here but me get to see her?" Winter asked exasperatedly. She was starting to think that it hadn't been such a good idea to skip first period. If she hadn't, maybe she would know the inside joke that everyone else was talking about. Apparently, Ryder had been pretty busy during the time she was gone.

Jade shook her head. "No, I didn't either." And immediately, Winter felt a wave of relief wash over. So she wasn't the only clueless one. And if Jade didn't know either, then they were all about to find out in a minute.

"So, did I miss something that I should probably know about?" Jade smiled tightly to let them know that they'd better confess. More than anything, she wanted to know what Hannah's kids were like. And if she didn't get an accurate impression, there was no way for her to know what kind of challenge she was faced with. And if she couldn't meet that challenge, life for everyone as they knew it, was going to go to hell.

"So where is she?" Jade asked the table through gritted teeth. Even she couldn't fail to notice that the table had fallen silent all of a sudden. The three guys were now clearing their throats uncomfortably. They were hiding something. She could smell it radiating off them. It was so obvious. "Well?"

"She's sitting in the far corner, the one with the split in the seat. All of them are." Arielle said in an tired voice when she noticed that no one else was going to speak up. Let the boys be all bravado when talking about it, and then totally turn into cowards the minute they had to do something.

Winter looked over, casting her eyes, and saw that there were indeed three people sitting there. The girl was wearing an outfit that looked like Winter would've picked out herself, and it seemed like something even Jade would approve of.

Hmm, wonder why.

The girl was sitting on the seat with the split. Her skinny legs were crossed over each other, and her best attribute was probably her hair. It was a deep, rich red that waved down to her ribs. On top of that, her chest would've been to die for. Winter knew of many models who'd tried—and ended up looking like fakes—to get theirs done to the same size. When the girl looked up, there was an expression in her eyes too. It wasn't like the way Arielle's had been, though. Her mint green eyes were dreamy, like her body was here, but she was off in a more pleasant place.

Jade eyed the youngest one. It was obvious that he was the baby of the family. Every time he opened his mouth, he quickly looked to see if his older siblings were paying attention. Like his sister, his hair was like a flaming fire, and he had the look of someone who'd just grown into his limbs and was still trying to adjust the rest of his body to the transformation. She was quick to note that he looked the most insecure of the three. Note: intense fidgeting, playing with fingers, and scared, cow eyes.

Arielle let her eyes roam over the older brother. It was definitely the one she'd seen in the car this morning. The lurking one. Now that he wasn't in hiding, she was free to study him more carefully. Arielle had remembered that his hair was the only one that was a blonde-brown color. It had been messy, like he'd gotten out of bed this morning, and hadn't bothered to comb his hair. His nose was slightly crooked, and his mouth opened slightly to show his dentals. He now wore a hat that hid the top half of his face, including his eyes, and his whole body gave a I-don't-give-a-damn-what-you-think-about-me vibe.

Even as they all carefully analyzed the three people, "I see," was all Jade allowed, though she was putting it mildly. From the way she was glaring at them, it was a miracle they hadn't felt the intensity of it. Until the girl shifted her body so that it was positioned in better lighting.

When she did, Jade slammed down the fork so hard the she could feel the sharp edges make a sick, scratching sound on the surface of the table. "What. The. Hell." she hissed, her eyes now following the girl like a bumblebee.

"Oh," Arielle said in a small shock of surprise, following her sister's gaze, where it landed on the royal-purple colored jersey dress.

It was the one Jade had been saving for her and Duke's reunion dinner this weekend. Obviously, now that it'd already been worn, she would never be able to wear it and not mentally compare the two images. The girl's chest fit nicely into it the way the Jade wouldn't ever have been able to pull off. And now that Duke had already seen it on her, it was deigned to never be worn by Jade. Ever Again.

Inside of her, Jade felt despair. She'd searched so long for something perfect, and then when she finally found it, she was being punished by having to watch someone else wear it.

Was this punishment for all the times she'd ruined other people's lives?

_Well_, Jade told herself evenly, trying to do anything but fly across the room, and demand that the girl take it off, _if I'm not going to wear it, then neither is anyone else. Certainly not that daughter of the home-wrecker._

But still, it was painful watching all those hours spent in dressing rooms go to waste. Jade mentally ran over a list to help herself control her predatory instincts:

If Jade were to make her take it off, her boobs would probably pop out of the cheap, home-made bra underneath. And that was something Duke most definitely did not need to see.

Jade was not willing to take the chance that in the end, she'd be the one getting embarrassed. Jade prided herself for her mental strength, not her physical.

Jade would automatically lose that element of surprise that she'd been hoping to use.

There was so much more Jade could do with that shirt on. And who was she to deny her public a good entertainment to help them get through the rest of the day?

With those thoughts, Jade felt the wheels turning inside her head again, faster and faster, until she knew exactly what she needed to help make herself feel better. She slid off her side and quickly ran to the nearest line, cutting everyone else. Ignoring the feeble protests, she searched the ice bucket and grabbed the cold bottle in her hand, leaving without even paying for it. Considering how much that her father had already helped donate towards the school, she felt like she was at least entitled to grab a free drink when she didn't have the time to pull out her American Express.

Then, ignoring the looks that her table was shooting towards her direction, Jade plopped down at the cheerleader's table.

"Jade," gasped Alana, head cheerleader, "hi. Are you okay?" she said, noticing Jade's crazed, and out of control face.

"Yeah." Jade forced a smile onto her face. "But you see, I have a little problem. See that girl over there by the corner? The one with the purple dress? I don't know how, but make sure that you get this and whatever else you can come up with, onto that shirt. I don't care how you do it, as long as it's disgustingly awful, and loud." Jade paused to see if Alana was following her. "Got it?"

" Do I get rewarded if I do this right?" Alana asked hopefully.

"No. You get punished if you do this wrong." Jade said through her smile. Then, noticing Alana's fallen face, she added, "But do this right, and you can eat with us tomorrow."

How very generous of her.

"Oh, and one more thing. This was never my idea." Jade hissed in Alana's ear, squeezing pressure onto her shoulder to show how dead serious she was.

Now that her mission was accomplished, Jade pushed herself away from the cheerleader's table as fast as she could. Their atmosphere made her sick. Nobody should be allowed to be so happy when Jade was feeling this shitty. She almost felt like strangling their throats whenever they opened their mouths. She would've if she didn't need them to do her dirty work for her.

_Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Go, Cougars! _

_Two four, six, eight, shut the hell up before it's too late_, Jade thought as she pranced back to her lucky table 17.

"Gatorade?" Arielle asked when Jade got back, confused. The only other time that Jade had held a Gatorade bottle had been when she'd been reading the nutrition bar on it. Which, had then promptly earned it a spot in the "Foods to Avoid at all Costs" pile. Along with a lot of other junk food that made Arielle's mouth water just thinking about it.

"Aren't you the one who said that we shouldn't drink it because it's mostly artificial sugars?" Winter pointed out, trying to be helpful. Just in case Jade was losing her mind.

"Who says that I was going to be the one drinking it?" Jade replied, too busy to actually care about what Winter and Arielle were thinking right now. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alana making her way down the aisle. Balanced on her arms were the leftover bits of lunch on the cheerleader's table. Jade could make out the distinct color of an already rotting apple and a half-chewed on, soggy sandwich.

Perfect. It looked like Alana knew exactly what she was doing.

Jade eyed Alana, and smiled over the top of her hooded eyes, and gave a barely-there nod to encourage her little, blonde minion.

Now properly enthused, Alana's footsteps became more distinctive clips as her flats got closer and closer. Jade's eyes carefully followed Alana, and everything seemed to be going into slow motion. The cafeteria noise dimmed in her ears, and the bright lighting increased by mega watts. Even though nothing had changed in the lunchroom, Jade could feel herself watching everything like it was a movie.

Lights, Alana started unscrewing the Gatorade cap off. The plates of half-eaten food started sliding towards the right side. Two feet away.

Camera, the cafeteria was now watching her with one eye and slowly, the noise began to really dim down. Just a little more to go...

And, action! Alana's wrist tipped just a little, and sent all the food sprawling onto the girl's hair, her face, and down her shirt. Then, Jade watched with increased satisfaction, as she tipped the bright red Gatorade bottle straight down the purple shirt. Jade knew that the stains would never, ever come out again. A lasting impression of her first day in Beverly Hills.

_May there be many, many more to come_, Jade silently toasted, her body thrumming with the thrill of another plan being perfectly executed. She lifted her bottled mineral water in unspoken acknowledgement to her accomplishment.

All around her, the cafeteria had begun whispering to one another, and then had burst out laughing. It wasn't loud, but it was definitely there, and it was definitely what Jade wanted. In the far corner, the girl awkwardly looked around, and her big eyes were no longer dreamy; they were slowly filling with tears of embarrassment as she tried to pick off the pieces of green lettuce that were stuck to her splotchy front and the ham pieces in her hair.

Beverly Hills Lesson 1: Jade Lewallen is and has always been invincible.

Arielle carefully watched her sister out of the corner of her eye. She could recognize the happy gleam in Jade's expression, and immediately knew that everything had been orchestrated, probably all within the last ten minutes. Arielle tore her eyes away, only to meet Winter's.

_Jade?_ Winter mouthed silently, moving her mouth as little as possible.

Arielle distinctively widened her eyes, to confirm Winter's question. Why did everything have to be so horrible when Jade was involved? She sighed to herself as she thought about all the other times, trying to keep it quiet.

Even so, Jade heard her and turned to narrow her eyes. "Don't you dare walk out on this." she murmured in a semi-threatening tone, seeming to read Arielle's mind, like she always did.

And Arielle looked down at her lap, too much of a coward to try to defy her sister's authority. She knew that Jade knew this and always used it to her advantage.

Jade watched as the girl stood up, fumbling to get out of the corner she was in, throwing off her brothers' attempts to calm her. She ran right out the cafeteria door once her legs were untangled from each other, real tears now flowing freely from the corners of her eyes.

And the entire school watched as she slowly ran out the door, their laughter following after her back. This was what Jade had done, what she had created.

And she watched this all with a satisfied smile turning up her lips. If the girl was crying now, just wait until she found out what was going to happen to her next. This was only the beginning. And until the end came, it was only going to get a lot worse. Count on it.


	5. Chapter 5

If Only Everyone had Their Own Knight in Shining Armor

**If Only Everyone had Their Own Knight in Shining Armor**

**Author's Note: Hey! Thanks so much to all of you who've reviewed my story. I truly enjoyed hearing from everyone. Some of you even told me who you liked best, who you wanted to stab with a butter knife, and what you wanted to happen. I'll try my best to keep writing when school starts. Please keep reading, and let me know what you think. I love hearing from all of you! **

Humiliation burned. It clawed it's way up Chase's throat and nearly demolished her lungs. Her entire body felt like it was on fire as she ran out of cafeteria, a piece of meat still clinging to her hair. Even once she was sitting properly on the toilet cover in a bathroom stall, she couldn't stop shaking. What kind of a place was this, anyway?

She looked down at herself, and immediately closed her eyes. Her dress was ruined. No, scratch that, her entire social life was ruined. Chase couldn't even begin to imagine how she would later try to explain this to Hannah, without her mother calling the principal and demanding justice.

No, she couldn't risk having everyone know that Chase needed her mom to help fight her battles. Chase looked down again, this time, her logical side kicking in. She should be able to get all the food out. And the rest, she'd just tell Mark that she'd been careless and had accidentally spilled her drink. Anything than to give that girl the satisfaction of knowing what a little weakling Chase was.

Outside, Chase listened quietly as she heard the muffled sounds of students walking in the halls outside. Someone pulled the door open, and Chase could immediately hear the sounds outside being magnified ten times. She drew her knees up tight against her chest as a defensive reflex when she realized that there was someone else in the bathroom with her.

"Chase?" a voice called, and Chase nearly jumped when she heard someone call her name. She wanted to take a peek over the stall, but she was scared that she'd fall off the toilet. After she'd gotten over the shock, though, she realized that she knew who the voice belonged to. If she hadn't been so scared, she would've recognized it faster.

She held her breath, hoping that her brother would just go away. When Blake knew that she had no intention of answering him, he sighed. "Chase, I know you're in there. Don't make me pull you out."

When Chase heard that, she quickly dusted her hands on her skirt, and slid down off the toilet seat. She couldn't possibly hide in the tiny stall forever, anyway. It was better to come out now than to be dragged out by her ankles. Talk about weird.

"Blake, what are you doing here? I may be humiliated, but I'm not blind. This is the _girl_'s bathroom." she said weakly, attempting to make light of the fact that she was standing before her brother with bits of paisley stuck to her backside.

"I know where I am." Blake rolled his eyes. "But I figured that since you were a girl, you'd be more likely to be hiding in here than in the guy's bathroom." He raised an eyebrow on purpose, "And it seems like I was right."

Chase managed a weak chuckle for both their sakes, but gave it up once she fully grasped the situation she was in.

"Oh, Blake. What am I going to do?" Chase moaned, looking at her ghastly reflection in the shiny mirror. Now that she was critically examining herself, it was even worse than it looked. She looked like she'd just taken a dip in the dumpster.

In the back, she could even swear she saw Blake wince, even though when he spoke, his voice was still hard.

"You're going to get all the junk off of you, go back to class for the rest of the day, and then go home and tell mom all about your perfect first day in school." Blake told her, leaning against the white sink to avoid looking the mush of green on her back. "Or you could tell her how horrible it was, and we could all get out of this shit hole." He amended almost hopefully.

Chase wrinkled up her face. Things back home weren't exactly appealing either. "It's okay. Let's think about Mom and her happiness, and just forget about all of this." She told him, splashing water onto her face, and then sopping it off with a paper towel.

"Yeah, but since when has Mom ever thought about any of our happiness?" Blake muttered in reply, ripping more paper towel out of the dispenser and handing it to Chase.

She took it gratefully and picked off pieces of food, throwing it into the grey trash can. When she was done, she took another look at herself. "That's a bit better." She said, doing a slow, three hundred and sixty degree spin to make sure that she got every last spot. The shirt was still definitely destroyed, but at least there weren't chunks of tuna all over it.

"You ready to go back out there?" Blake asked in a quietly, guarded tone.

It was times like these that made Chase fully appreciate Blake. She remembered back when they were little, when she'd always tagged along with all the other guys in Blake's group. They would always have a contest to see who could climb over the school fence the fastest. Chase, who'd always been the last one, was always left behind. Except, her brother always managed to come back and pull her over, even after everyone was long gone. It made her kind of sad to realize that now, even when she was older and could take care of herself, he was still here for her.

Aw, that's what brothers are for.

She cleared her throat, to keep it from blocking out her airways. "Think so." She didn't want to, but what she really didn't want was to spend the rest of the school year hiding in the stalls, and then having to go home and pretend like everything was okay.

"I'm okay now." she declared out loud, one part to convince Blake, and two parts to convince herself.

_If I can get through this, I'll be able to conquer anything_, she told herself sternly. Maybe in ten years, when she was famous, these people would come and beg to hang out with her. Besides, whoever heard of popular people becoming famous when they grew up. Just look at Michael Phelps—the same people who'd teased him were the ones trying to be his Facebook friends now.

"Okay, than, let's go," Blake told his sister, tugging her out of the door, wanting to get her out of the bathroom before she changed her mind. As much as he was concerned about Chase's welfare, he didn't want to stick around to find out who would be the next girl to find him in the wrong bathroom.

Chase quickly peeked out of the door, making sure that nobody was looking her way, then she quickly darted out, pulling Blake with her.

"Easy on the arm," he grumbled, once the two of them were lost in the crowd. Chase looked at where she'd been digging her nails into him. She hadn't realized how tense she'd been for someone to recognize her and to start throwing paper spit balls.

"Oh, sorry," Chase quickly released the fistfuls and smoothed her front, embarrassed. It was bad enough that he had to drag her out of hiding. She didn't want to depend on him any more than she had to.

"Here I am," she told him, when she saw that the door to her left was the one she'd been looking for. Chase had been so nervous in period one, that she'd memorized her schedule until she could recite it backwards. Just in case her little slip of paper got lost, she had told herself.

Blake frowned, pulling _his_ schedule out of his back pocket. He looked at it, then looked at the room number again. His eyes narrowed. Was this the administration's idea of a joke? To put the two of them in the same Spanish class?

Oh, boy.

"Guess you're in my class then," Blake said, pulling the door open for the two of them. He didn't know which way of thinking was worse: his sister being as smart him, or him being as stupid as her. Either way, it was beyond humiliating to even think about. The principal could've at least given the two of them different teachers.

_Now we can conjugate our verbs together for homework_, he thought sarcastically. _Joy. _

He looked at his sister's barely-concealed smile. He could just imagine what she was going to tell their mom, "_Hey, guess what? Blake and I are in the same Spanish class, even though he's a year older than me_." In fact, if she hadn't just been humiliated herself, she'd probably be on the floor laughing by now.

Actually, Chase was glad that Blake was in her class. It meant that for another two hours, she wouldn't have to face the mob alone. Looking at his face though, she could tell he was probably planning to switch out of Spanish the minute it ended. And she was right; beside her, Blake was wondering if it was too late to go to the principal's office and demand to sue if he wasn't placed in a higher class.

Aw, no studying for Spanish finals together? Darn.

Chase fought against the group of girls, who were all surrounding someone that she couldn't see, and settled down in one of two empty seats next to each other. It was a good thing it was all the way in the back. Then, maybe teachers would stop getting her to go up to the front and share.

"There's someone staring at you," Blake tipped his head to the right, and told his sister in a low voice.

Her first instinct was to shrink away, and duck her head. But she decided that if someone had a problem with her, she wanted to know about it. This was now her school as much as anyone's. Chase raised her head, and stared right into the ice blue eyes of the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen.

Everything about her seemed delicate and fragile, from her big eyes to her skinny frame. Her lush mouth was parted slightly, and her long fingers were splayed over her apple cheeks. A wave of deep, rich ringlets cascaded down, draping over her shoulders like a sweater. Chase now realized that this was the girl that all the other girls had been surrounding. And it was no wonder. Everybody else seemed to be drawn to her beauty.

Chase hadn't realized that she'd been staring at her, until the girl suddenly did an incredible thing. She smiled tentatively, showing off her brilliantly white teeth, and then turned back to her friends again. One of the guys looked over to see what the girl had been staring at.

"Hey! Look what we have here." the guy called to his friends, "It's the girl in the lunchroom, the one with the huge tits!" Chase felt her face flame up. And for the second time that day, she could feel humiliation clawing it's way up again.

She hated whenever this topic was brought. Most of the time, if it was on the streets, she ignored it. But here, under the sudden scrutiny of dozens of curious eyes, the feeling was completely different. It was like being studied under the microscope by curious scientists. Except that scientists didn't whisper to their friends and giggle, like everyone in the room was doing now.

"Stay away from her," Blake suddenly hissed from beside Chase, standing up slowly, and circling around his desk.

The boy looked from Chase and then to Blake and then back again. "Who's this, your boyfriend?" He snickered, moving in closer towards Chase menacingly.

Blake slowly reached inside his jacket, and pulled his hands out again, his fists clenched together.

"What are you going to do? Fight me," the boy said, noticing Blake's hands. Then, for fun, he reached over, and slapped her butt to purposely entice Blake.

The moment he did that, even Chase knew it was a deadly mistake. The boy might think that he was being brave, and showing off for the girls, but he'd just made the worst decision possible: he'd underestimated her brother.

Chase could feel the boy's cockiness and arrogance. He thought he could win this, in a world where he'd always had bodyguards at his side. But Blake had grown up on the streets, all three of them had. From the moment they could, they'd learned how to steal for a living, and to fight back if anyone else wanted to pick a fight. Even Chase could easily win a grunge brawl with this boy if she wanted to. Which she didn't, not right here at least.

As for him, Blake didn't care. He'd been saving his energy up for something. All of the anger from the past days broke forward now, and boiled out of him. His fingers brushed against the switch he held in his palm, and the blade immediately sliced up so fast, he could still feel the trail of air it'd left behind.

"Let's do it," Blake told the boy, barring his teeth together, blade still clutched in his hand. The boy took one shocked, wide-eyed look and whimpered to himself, his eyes never leaving the sharp tip, all signs of bravado gone. He'd probably never even witnessed a street fight—knives and guns included—much less been a part of one.

Unfortunately for Blake, all would've gone well for him and he would've been able to get all the anger off his chest, if the teacher hadn't decided to walk through the door at that very moment. But she did, and the moment her eyes made it past the crowd, and onto the knife, she screamed.

"Put it down," she said, her voice shaking as she pushed her way into the middle of the two boys, "right now." The two looked at each other. Blake's eyes were filled with disgust, and the other with triumph.

"He was trying to knife me, Mrs. Schwartz," the boy accused, pointing his finger at Blake. Now that he knew he wasn't going to die a painful death, all his previous egotism was back.

"That's not true, Mrs. Schwartz. Trey's lying. He was the one who started it." Everybody looked as the beautiful girl spoke up, her voice like crystals, glaring at Trey in a way that made him cower back again.

"Nonetheless, this is unforgivable. You, give me the knife, and go to Principal Cracow's office." Mrs. Schwartz said, trembling so hard that pieces of her flabby skin were shaking. She was probably worried that since Blake hadn't had the chance to fight Trey, he'd settle for her.

Blake looked her bitingly, and then he dropped the knife, letting it clatter to the floor deafeningly. Then, he slowly walked past the rows of people, only pausing to stare into Trey's eyes. _This isn't finished_, Blake's eyes burned into Trey's. Then, he was gone, and the door clattered shut behind him.

Blake walked down the silent halls now, missing the weight of his knife against his side. He'd carried it around for many years, and he'd taken great comfort in the fact that it was always there when he needed it.

_This is ridiculous_, he said to himself, as he walked into the principal's office for the second time that day. This time, the secretary scowled even more fiercely at him. She stabbed a chubby finger at the principal's door, to show that Principal Cracow was expecting him.

When he walked into Principal Cracow's office, he noticed that the blinds were drawn this time, and the air conditioning was turned up even more. It was like Principal Cracow was trying to go into hibernation, or something.

"Mr. van Buren, Mrs. Schwartz has just called me to tell me of your unethical actions, and I have to say, I could not be more disappointed in you." Principal Cracow said, rounding on him the moment he stepped into the room.

"Yes, I'm very sorry. Won't happen again," he said automatically. It seemed to be the answer that adults expected. An apology and a false promise that they wouldn't have to deal with him again. At least not under the same circumstances.

"Unfortunately, sorry is not good enough." Principal Cracow told him, and Blake's head shot up. Was she already expelling him? Was something good in life finally going to happen to him? He could be seeing his friends again, twenty-four hours from now.

"Are you kicking me out?" Blake asked her buoyantly. He remembered all the things he could look forward to going back to: his friends, being on the school team again, being able to skip school when he wanted to...

"No, unfortunately, Mr. Lewallen has offered to fund a new art program, so it would be most unceremonious to expel you. However, as you have endangered the life of an innocent student—"

"He was hardly innocent." Blake argued back, remembering Trey purposely trying to start a fight by touching his sister's ass. He'd gotten what he asked for, so why was Blake the one being punished?

"As you have endangered the life of an innocent student," Principal Cracow said again in a louder voice, to remind Blake that he wasn't supposed to be talking when she was handing out the verdict. "you will be serving detention every day of the week, for an hour after school."

Blake's face turned to stone when he heard that. Nope, it seemed like life was still pretty freaking unfair to him. But he knew better to argue with her against the point. Unlike the three others guys in here this morning, he didn't have the power to sway the principal with promises of what his father would and would not do. As far as he was concerned, his father could be in Idaho right now, eating potatoes.

"Fine," he snapped, backing out of the room, and almost hitting the framed family portrait of the Cracows.

"Oh, and Mr. van Buren," the Principal Cracow said, "do offer my sincerest congratulations to your mother, and tell her that I look forward to going to her engagement party this Saturday."

At first he was confused. Engagement party? Then he remembered: the public announcing of his mom and Mark's upcoming wedding. Blake was tempted to tell her that her invitation was revoked, seeing as she didn't know half of what justice was supposed to be at this school. But, Mark Lewallen had probably given her an invitation to get them in, and Blake didn't want his sister to get thrown out, not when her day had already been shitty enough.

If only _all_ sibling were that thoughtful about each other's welfare.

He nodded again, and stepped out of the arctic room. Now that he thought about it, the idea of having to go back to class amidst everyone's stares and whispers wasn't very appealing. He looked over at the student parking lot, an new idea running in his head. He looked until he quickly found the car he'd been searching for: the bright red one that'd been cutting everyone off this morning.

Blake jogged over, crouching to run his hands over the beautiful red color. If there was one thing that he wanted from Beverly Hills, it was a car. He'd never had one, even though he'd gone cruising in his friends' cars all the time back home.

A shadow fell over him, and he looked up.

"That's my car," the beautiful blonde from Spanish class told him, standing behind him, car keys flashing in the sunlight.

Blake quickly stood up again, towering over her by a head. "It's a nice car." He told her, clearing his throat, realizing how stupid he must've looked. If must've looked like he was trying to steal it, or something.

"Thanks," she smirked in reply, dangling her keys by her pinkie so that it looked like it was almost going to fall off. Blake eyed her and her hand. Here was the answer to life, right in front of him.

Wait, the keys or the girl?

She noticed his eyes on her car keys and smiled. "You want to drive her?" she nodded towards her Ferrarri.

Did he ever.

She reached out, so that her keychain grazed his palm, and almost put it in his hand, when she narrowed her eyes, and drew back. "On two conditions."

"Anything," he told her impatiently. Anything to get her to hand over the keys, that is.

"You have to take me, and we have to be back by three forty-five." she told him. Then, mistaking his pained face for unwillingness, she crossed her arms. "Or never mind. I'll just go by myself, then."

Blake quickly considered her. She was really quite a bombshell. And besides, it was her car anyway. Maybe she just wanted to make sure that he didn't run off with her precious Ferrarri, or something. Either way, it couldn't hurt to bring her along.

"Okay," he said, and she dropped her keys into his waiting palm. _Finally._

He inserted it in, unlocked the car, and sat down, adjusting the seats so that it fit him. Blake turned the key in the engine, and the car purred to life, roaring out of school grounds, and away from all his troubles.

He quickly passed the signature palm trees, lined up on the side, and crossed lanes. "So, you know anywhere good?"

She thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. "Queens. I go there all the time with my friends, and we never get carded."

Blake chuckled in the driver's seat when he heard that. Well, well, well. Sounds like Barbie doll here wasn't quite as squeaky clean as she looked. This girl was seriously starting to grow on him.

"Okay, just tell me where to go," he told her, and she smiled at him. For a tiny moment, the two of them were linked as one.

Today, he'd forget all his troubles. Then tomorrow, he'd think of a way to get himself back to where he belonged. Just wait, Beverly Hills. Ready or not, Blake van Buren is going to kick up quite a storm before this is over.


	6. Chapter 6

**(Author's Note: Please Read and Review!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for everyone who already commented and thanks for reading!!!!!)**

**What would the World do if every General was off Playing Strip Poker?**

The musty smell of the classroom still lingered in the air. It reeked of old textbooks, and the perfume of old Mrs. Waukesha, who always claimed that it was Chanel. Funny how Chanel smelled like rotten bananas, though. It didn't matter, anyway. Mrs. Waukesha was the only one in the "C" building who didn't have a sixth period class.

Duke pinned Jade against the whiteboard. "Hmm," he breathed in her hair, which helped block out all the other weird smells in the room. "Did you miss me over break?"

"You have no idea," Jade told him before navigating his mouth with her tongue, and he found her mouth again. He sighed. This was the way it should always be. When Jade wasn't being hung up on her family problems, he loved her insanely because she could be so much fun.

"You think old Mrs. Waukesha would mind if we used her classroom for more than just kissing?" Duke murmured against her collarbone, as his lips found their way down her throat.

"I think what Mrs. Waukesha doesn't know, she doesn't need to find out," Jade whispered back to him, as she grabbed the waistband of his jeans, and pulled him towards her even more.

Duke laughed softly, and then slid his face against her bare shoulders. It was a good thing that neither of them had this class. If they did, it would've been awkward to function in a place where they hooked up every sixth period, when the classroom was dark.

It was Duke who'd found out that every sixth period, Mrs. Waukesha would leave for the teacher's lounge, and leave her classroom unlocked and unguarded. At first, he couldn't believe his luck. The room was on the second floor, so no one could see in through the windows. And besides, it was tucked away in a corner, so that hardly anyone chose to look into the blinded windows anyway. Aside from the smell, there wasn't a more perfect place for just the two of them.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, kissing both her eyelids.

She looked up at him. "Nothing," she replied, "Just the day I saw you. You were in seventh grade, and every time you walked past me, you would look at me. That look bothered me so much."

"Why?" he asked her, stroking her luscious, brown hair tenderly.

"Because I couldn't intimidate you into not looking at me," she said, one part in love, and another in slight exasperation, like a child who just didn't understand why she couldn't jam puzzle pieces together.

"And I couldn't stop looking at you." he teased, sliding off her top so that Jade's black, lacy La Perla bra could be seen.

"Hmm, wonder why." she murmured in his ear, as she ripped his shirt off and tossed it behind him.

"I really don't know," he said in her ear, unzipping her pants. A small, vibration came from the pocket, and they both jumped.

"What the hell?" Jade's eyes blazed. Duke saw that expression and instantly knew that it meant the mood was all gone. Jade was back to being dominant, alpha-bitch Jade. He sighed, and then grabbed his shirt off the floor, putting it back on, while Jade's eyes zipped across the screen like a buzzing honey bee.

"What?" she screeched, and then dove across the room, hurriedly pulling her strapless shirt back into place and zipping up her fly. Duke watched Jade pull open the curtains just a fraction of a slit.

"What's going on?" Duke asked, coming up beside her, and resting his hands on her shoulders.

"My car's gone." she spat disgustedly, shrugging him off like something uncomfortable.

"Oh." Duke paused when he heard this. "That sucks."

Jade rounded up on him. "Someone stole it, and that someone had better not be Arielle."

Duke didn't point out that Jade's car was Arielle's too, so she was pretty much privy to driving it around if she wanted to.

Jade furiously dialed a number, and pulled open the door, with Duke following right behind. "Winter? Stay with me. I'm coming. Don't move."

Then, with Winter still blustering on the phone, Jade shot out of the room with Duke following right behind, sighing to himself. How come things always happened like this?

He slowly chased Jade, as he saw her familiar brown ponytail whip around corners and fly through doors, until she was racing towards the parking lot.

He dashed past all the classrooms, until he could make out the image of Winter standing on an empty parking lot space, number 63, Jade's special parking space that nobody else was allowed to park in.

Jade skidded to a stop in front of him so fast that Duke nearly sent her reeling to the ground. "Holy shit," Jade breathed, steam practically pouring out of her eyes.

"I swear I have no clue what happened. I was coming down here to check Arielle. She text messaged me in fifth period saying that she had to get her project from the car, and when she never showed up for English, I thought I'd come down here to see if she was okay, and, well, you know what happened." Winter rambled nervously, on and on, purposely laying the blame on Arielle. Jade was not known for being fair, especially when her eyes were brimming like that.

Every woman for herself, right?

Jade took such a deep breath of air that it sounded like she was sucking a plunger from the toilet. "Everybody, leave. Now. There's something I need to piece out." she commanded in a surprisingly normal voice.

Duke and Winter both looked at each other and backed away. "Kay. I'll be in class if you need me." Winter told Jade faintly.

Word from the wise: run while you still can.

Duke saw Winter dart through the halls as fast as she could, but he turned around at an impulse. Jade was staring into the distance, arms folded around herself.

Then, on a last minute inspiration, Duke dashed up the stairs to the little outside patio located almost right above where Jade was standing. He cocked one feet behind the other. As he looked to the horizon like a ship captain searching for land, he saw the red-hot convertible turn in the loop and park in its empty parking lot space.

He watched as Arielle got out of the passenger seat and an unidentified boy slammed the driver's door. Duke squinted closely. So, this was the elusive boy that they'd all been searching for. He was so busy watching Arielle and her new friend laugh to each other, that he forgot to check what Jade was doing. He saw the look of surprise cross her face—she had obviously expected Arielle to be alone—and then turn into a deeper, darker rage.

Duke leaned down a little, so he could hear the argument that was bound to happen soon. He saw Arielle's smile and facial color slowly fade as her gaze traveled from the tips of Jade's shoes, all the way up to the fake welcome-back smile that now easily graced Jade's face.

As Jade's sister, Arielle should know better than anyone else that all that effort into making that effortless smile was only going to fuel the balls of fury in her stomach.

"Jade," Arielle murmured in such a low voice that Duke almost fell over trying to catch what she was saying.

"Arielle," Jade reached to embrace her sister, but Duke saw her dig her nails into the Arielle's arm, where the new boy couldn't see.

"And let me guess..." Jade turned to the boy and placed her fingers delicately on his shoulder, a gesture that would've driven Duke with jealousy if he hadn't known how forced it was. "You must be the new kid in school. I see you've already met my sister." Jade nodded her head in Arielle's direction.

The boy gave a quick, flickering smile that was more of just a quick upturn of his lips, and then continued to watch Jade with a calculating and suspicious expression.

As if sensing that the boy could see past her exterior, Jade quickly turned away again. "Arielle, come with me to get something?" Jade asked, a flat out invitation for alone time with her sister.

"I'll see you around," the boy jutted his chin out, and then pushed past them, and into the school halls once more. Jade watched to make sure he was truly gone, and then wheeled on her sister.

"Really, Arielle?" Jade said, her lips curling derisively. "A van Buren? Was it just a bonding thing, or should I be concerned if it was even legal?"

Arielle shook her head furiously, "I was just trying to find out more information, just like you said we should." Arielle said unconvincingly. She blinked rapidly, something she only did when she was either nervous or lying. Duke remembered watching her wing her presentation once, and the only thing he could focus on was how fast her eyes were going up and down. And he wasn't the only one: everyone knew about Arielle's nervous habit.

Jade's face was stretched with taut rage for a moment, just long enough for Duke and Arielle to both read her expression, and then it was gone. "You know, I did say something like that didn't I?" Jade smiled at Arielle.

Arielle nodded weakly. Watching her, Duke wasn't sure if it was from relief or wariness. "I'm sorry, Ari, for judging you so soon." Jade continued on, hugging her sister. Arielle looked bewildered that she had survived and returned the hug almost numbly.

Duke felt a small sense of satisfaction surge in his system. Ryder and West were wrong. Jade had her sensitive side too. She just had a hard time expressing it sometimes.

Um, more like always?

"And since you want to help as much as possible, you should just stay home tonight, and do more 'investigating.' I was worried about wasting time at Queens when there was such a good opportunity for snooping back at home. But now that you've volunteered yourself," Jade raised her eyebrows, daring Arielle to suggest that she had done no such thing. When she didn't, Jade continued on blithely, "I guess I should be thanking you. If you're willing to compile the background check, I can finally relax a little." Jade winked at Arielle, as if the two of them had already agreed on this.

Meanwhile, Arielle's face had turned an ashen gray. She looked severely nauseated, and her expression was readable even to Duke, who was dangling about a couple feet above their heads.

Duke buried his face in his hands. He had thought Jade was going to be all nice and sisterly, but she'd delivered her punishment, and she'd delivered it well. Missing out on Queens was, according to Winter, was basically asking for 'social suicide.' Not that he ever got the whole "social suicide" thing. But to girls, it was obviously pretty important. Even to Arielle, Jade probably wouldn't hesitate to disown her in a second if she felt like it. He lifted his face out of his palms and re-focused his attention.

"So, I guess I'll see you back here later, Arielle. Now, run along and do some more 'investigating'." Jade winked and said, brushing her hands in the air like she was swatting away particles in the air.

Arielle dejected slumped down, shuffled to the door, and swung herself back into the school as quickly as possible.

Jade stood there for a second, and then started walking towards the building on the right, where the theatre department was situated. When Duke saw her leaving, he quickly sprinted back down the stairs, and jogged up to meet her pace.

"Jade," he sighed when he was beside her, not truly knowing where to begin.

She didn't look remotely surprised to see him. "I thought it was wrong to spy on your girlfriend." she told him, throwing him an amused sideways glance.

"What?" he asked, surprised. He'd thought he'd been pretty concealed. After all, nobody thinks to look up.

"Oh, Duke. Hasn't anyone told you that the red shirt you're wearing is kind of an eye-catcher?" Jade chuckled, comfortably keeping pace with him.

Duke sighed, then stepped in front of her so that she was forced to stop sharply.

"Look, Jade, it didn't have to be like that," he started. And then, before she could interject and make him feel cowed, he rushed on, "I mean, come on, so Arielle snuck off campus. It's not a big deal. I mean, people do it all the time. I don't get what's the big point."

"Duke," Jade gave him a _do-we-really-have-to-go-over-this_ look. "I can't have Arielle getting all friendly with the van Burens. It's like in war. If you were the commander-in-chief, would you want your best general playing a game of poker across enemy borders?"

Or in Arielle's case, playing strip poker across, umm, other figurative borders.

"But if you were so concerned about her associating with 'the enemy', then why are you leaving her at home tonight, where she can associate more with the enemy, behind your back." Duke said, feeling a little proud for having hit upon such a valid point. It was an interesting thought, after all.

"Oh, Duke," Jade smirked slightly with a shake of her head, "Did you really think that I haven't already thought about that? She needs to be punished, or she'll never learn. And just for good measures, I have some...things set up. Trust me when I say that everything will be okay."

"Things?" Duke's face crinkled in confusion.

Jade nodded placidly. "So don't worry." she whispered, squeezing his arm lightly. "Even without them, Arielle's not stupid enough to anger me twice in a day." Then, with that, she walked around him and continued down her way, with Duke still staring after her.

Of course, everyone had skeletons they'd wish could stay in their closets. But everyone should know better that when in Beverly Hills, there were no such things as secrets and playing fair. Because in Beverly Hills, someone's always watching and waiting. It was only a matter of time until they finally pounced.


	7. Chapter 7

**(Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who read my story! And for those of you who gave me a review, thank you extra much! Your kind comments on the story made my week and was super motivating. I couldn't wait to start writing daily again because of everyone. Here's Chapter 7. This chapter had been pre-planned for a long time, so there are a lot of tiny, but important details. Let me know what you think! And I just wanted to say thank you again for your time and patience. I hope you enjoy!) **

**What in Beverly Hills Happened to Daddy's Little Angel?**

Jade Lewallen instantly breathed the unique scent of her house as she breezed through the front doorway again, with Arielle right behind her. It smelled like a mix of aromatic cinnamon candles and whatever it was Colette was cooking for dinner tonight. In fact, Jade would feel pretty hungry, except every time she thought about the fact that it would be the first "family get-together" dinner of many, she felt like running to the nearest bathroom and puking her guts out.

The two of them and Winter had just had a small rendezvous, where they spent the time gossiping in Jade's room. Or rather, Jade and Winter talked while Arielle barely spoke up at all. Now, Winter had to leave for her dance class. Jade and Arielle had followed her outside, with promises to work everything out later.

"Hi Colette," Jade said, moving through the kitchen with ease. Normally, she didn't talk to the staff at all, but Colette was different. Colette had stayed with them the longest and often covered for Jade on the rare occasions when she needed help.

Colette looked up, saw Jade, and waved her wooden spoon in the air in show of acknowledgement. Jade quickly glanced at what Colette was cooking, and her spirits automatically lifted for a second. Lamb chops. Whenever they were having lamb chops, it meant that her father was eating with the family that night, instead of taking on some other critical life-changing case.

And then, Jade's eye fell to the next food item. "Uh, I don't remember anyone ever eating purple globs of crap in here." Jade wrinkled her nose and disgust and took a step back, like germs on the food could be spread airborne. "Whatever happened to the side dish of cashews that were supposed to go with the lamb chops?"

Colette lowered the spoon and nudged the plate of purple crap with it, "Since Miss Chase is allergic to peanuts, Miss Hannah requested that I make zucchini instead."

Bitterness washed over Jade. Of course. No wonder her father was home today. In the spur of the moment happiness, Jade had almost forgotten just how dedicated her father was to his new family now. Apparently, the only life-changing he was doing around here was Jade's, and not for the better either.

Having remembered that, she swept wordlessly out of the kitchen, trying to keep her head clear of all the possible ways she could kill someone right now. Jade angrily climbed up the stairs. She felt like stomping, but that was something that elementary school kids did. And for this new job, she needed to be mature and convincing.

She would smile, lie through her teeth, and pretend to befriend the van Burens if she had to. But she was going to get the job done, damn it, even if she had to sacrifice a piece of herself to do it. She wouldn't let anyone win over her. And she had a good feeling now was a good time to pay another telephonic visit to her special friend.

Jade nearly crashed into her sister as the two of them both hit the landing at the same time. Glaring silently at the floor, Arielle stormed past Jade, and ran into her room, slamming the door. Jade stared at the white paint on the wall. Was it her fault that Arielle had decided to take a little cruise—probably into Blake's pants—and had made Jade think of the possibility that her sister was switching sides?

Whatever. Arielle would come around. She always did. They only had each other after all. Sooner or later, Arielle would need Jade to help her, and with some proper ass-kissing, Jade would graciously forgive her.

But first, Robert Haussler. When Jade was relatively sure she was safe in the confines of her room and that none of the staff were snooping around, she flipped open her phone and called his number. Many times, Robert's skills had proved themselves handy and useful. Jade had, in fact, relied on it multiples of times when she'd been too lazy to do some digging of her own.

"Hello, Jade. How may I help you this time?" Robert's voice picked up on the third ring. Finally. Considering how much Jade was paying him per job, he'd actually do her the decency of making her his number one priority. She was probably the one that kept food on his table anyway.

"Hello, Robert. I would like to hire your services again." Jade's lip curled. She couldn't wait until he was finished with his triple assignment. Three times the endless possibilities she could work with. Three times the chaos. "Please compile the usual report and findings on Hannah, Blake, and Chase van Buren."

There was a long pause, and Jade heard him shifting in his creaky chair in the background. She felt a wave of extreme impatience sweep over her. Why wasn't he jumping up at the opportunity? That's three times the normal amount of pay he'd be getting, after all.

Then, finally, "Very well then. I will have it ready for you as soon as possible. I assume, I am still charging the fee to your account?" Robert asked, and Jade could hear the greediness in his voice. She rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her. As good as he was at being a private investigator, he was still as shallow as ever.

"Yes. I would prefer to keep this a secret between you and me. Oh, and Robert?" Jade twirled the charms hanging on her phone and smirked, yet another things Robert couldn't see. "It had better be really good this time."

She snapped her phone shut. Jade hadn't been lying when she told Duke that she had everything set up. There were things around the house that Jade would never tell Arielle about, much less anyone. When you got down to it, she operated alone. Her mind was the only one capable of thinking two steps ahead of everyone else's. And she enjoyed using it as much as she could to her advantage.

In fact, she walked over to her private laptop and logged in. Once she was on, she booted the system and instantly, one of her biggest pride and joys whirled to life. The system allowed Jade to look into every room in the house, as well as the grounds surrounding the house. About a year ago, when her father's promiscuity had been brought to Jade's attention, she'd hired someone to install cameras into every room and to link it instantly to her computer.

Since she dismissed the staff for the day, her father had been away at the time—like he always was—and Arielle had been attending her yearly summer camp, no one else knew about Jade's secret. And she wasn't about to tell anyone either.

Now, sitting in front of her desk, she clicked on Arielle's room's feed. Inside, Arielle was sitting on the floor and zealously flipping through what looked like an old photo album. Jade zoomed in and saw the red rose embossing on the front page and the slightly yellowed edges. Beyond that, the pictures were blurry. Jade gave up and returned it back to normal. Besides, it wasn't like Jade was curious to find out who was in them or anything.

She stifled a yawn. Really, it would have been way more amusing to see Arielle take her anger out on, say, the wall or something. Making other people angry and lose control was one of Jade's specialties, after all.

Officially bored, Jade clicked on another feed: her father's office. Jade had always made it a point to not to spy on Mark Lewallen too much—she didn't really want to know what kind of things he was doing in his bedroom, anyway.

But now, she wanted to observe him. Mark Lewallen was examining an open folder, rifling through sheets of papers. There was a crease in the shape of an upside down crescent on his forehead and he massaged his temples with one hand as he used his other hand to flip through the papers.

Jade watched him quietly, propping her chin up on her palm. For as long as she could remember, she'd loved her father almost as much as she'd hated him. She hated him because Mark Lewallen was not a kind man. In fact, he often played dirty to get his way.

At least now we know where Jade gets it from.

But, in another way, Jade always loved him for a way that he never was.

The first time she'd gone over to Winter's house for their first sleep-over, Winter's father had come in and kissed his daughter good-night. Told her he loved her, and to sleep well. It was possibly one of most disgusting things Jade had ever seen at the time and also the most shocking. Part of her had always accepted her father for the busy man he was and shrugged off the lack of contact—physical and emotional—between them. Regardless of how Jade had tried to play it off as nauseating, she could only remember one thing: how much she hated Winter at that moment.

Her father had never even told her he loved her.

She'd heard him say it to his countless of one-night stand girlfriends as they were coming home, but to her and Arielle, never.

It made Jade sick with jealousy to realize that even though she was infinitely more perfect than any of those sluts, she was just never good enough for Mark Lewallen. And just because of that, there would always be an inner part of her that wasn't whole. Complete.

If you got down to it, she was really just like the tin man. Able to function and move and think, but without any heart inside of her.

The day that she'd realized the imperfection, she learned that she could hate, truly hate, and that her revulsion could be turned into something worthwhile. Jade decided that if her father wouldn't love her and Arielle, he would love no one.

Not even Hannah van Buren. If there was something she'd learned about real families since then, it was that the moms and the dads actually cared about their kid's well-being. And if Hannah van Buren was like any of those parents, the easiest place to target her would be Chase and Blake. The little one, Jade decided, could be left alone for now. She really had no interest at all in attacking people younger than her. It took away the power feeling.

She thought about it. If she could push and push and push, one day, one of them would break. They'd be miserable here. And eventually, the only place they could go would be back to their little dump.

Someone knocked on the door. Jade quickly snapped out of her reverie, slammed the top down and unplugged the cord as fast as she could.

"Who is it?" she snapped, getting up and yanking the door open.

Carla, the maid, trembled in front of her, like she'd been caught doing something naughty. "Mr. Lewallen, miss. He wants to speak with you in his office."

The maid trembled like she was about to get beaten.

Jade looked at Carla for a long second. "Very well," Jade cleared her voice, and lifted her chin like she was posing for her picture in Teen Vogue. "I will be right down."

Carla nodded imperceptibly and quickly pivoted and walked back down the stairs. Once, she was on floor one again, Jade quickly barged into Arielle's room.

When Arielle heard Jade, she shut the mysterious album as soon as she could. "What?" she glanced up almost defiantly. _My suffering is all your fault_, her eyes accused and she looked more tense than usual, with the way a vein was pumping viciously in her arms.

"Did Dad ask you to go down, or anything? Like, today at all?" Jade demanded. If this father-daughter talk was going to turn into another discussion on how much Mark Lewallen loved Hannah and their soon to be big-happy-family, Jade would seriously consider telling her father that if she ever got her way, there would be no happy ending.

"No," Arielle said in a tone, indicating clearly that she would like to be left alone. "Why?"

"No reason," Jade said, breathing a sigh of relief, already exiting out of her sister's bedroom the moment she heard that. Her spirits lifted. Her father always told Arielle any important news first, because he was always under the impression that Arielle was older. Jade was actually older by six minutes, but no matter how many times they told Mark that, he always forgot.

But now, maybe her father wanted to talk to Jade about how school was, or discuss about Nietzsche. Ever since Jade had found out that Mark Lewallen was interested in Nietzsche philosophy, she'd studied the idea of the Ubermensch religiously.

Jade took a deep breath in front of her father's office, and did a couple of exhaling exercises her therapist had taught her. Then, she turned the gleaming, gold doorknob, and entered in as gracefully as she could, letting her newly short hair graze her collarbone ever-so-slightly.

"You wanted to see me?" Jade put on a cheerful face, as she sat down opposite her father. The folder she'd seen on the camera was no where to be seen.

"Yes I did." Mark Lewallen glanced up brusquely. "How was school today?" Her father got up from his chair and paced around the room.

Inside, Jade smiled triumphantly. _Yes!_ This was going to be a very good day, after all. "It was really good, actually. As President of the Junior class and Associated Student Body, I am planning a charity gala, which is happening in a month." She paused for the slightest moment, and then rushed on. "And also, my G.P.A. and SAT scores are the highest in my year, and I'm applying early to Yale." Jade looked to her father's face for a reaction—he was, after all, an alumni of Yale—and then continued on more confidently. "And my paper on the Ubermensch idea has been nominated for an award. I'm also supposed to receive other medals too, like categories in the quantum of physics and American Government. The awards ceremony is the second to last week of school. I would love if you came." she finished the last part in a hurried breath. "Oh, and—"

"Stop," her father wheeled around sharply and glanced at Jade coldly. "I was talking about the van Buren kids."

"Oh," Jade was in a smaller voice, once the realization had sunk in. A lump began to form in her throat. Who was she kidding? Her father didn't give a shit about her. All he wanted to know was how his future kids were. The kids he couldn't wait to inherit. "I didn't have any classes with them, so we haven't been properly introduced yet."

"How is it, then, that you are smart enough to win so many awards, yet you can't even think of a way to find the van Buren kids and introduce yourself?" he fixed his eyes on her. She read the message in them easily: _you've disappointed me again. _

"I wasn't aware that you wanted me to," she finally said. "I mean, you're never around. How am I supposed to know what you want?"

"You don't seem to be aware of many things," Mark Lewallen said in an almost sneering tone. "Like the fact that I know how you got rid of Janice last time. Well, this time, it's for real. And there are going to be some changes around here because of that."

"Like what?" Jade forgot to catch herself. She heard the same sneering voice come out of her own mouth.

You know what they say: like father, like daughter.

"You will treat Hannah the way you'd treat any family member. And just to make sure you don't toe the line, I am going to be around much more often now. I know who's the mastermind around here, and I am going to be watching your every move." her father's eyes burned through Jade's, just to make sure she fully got the threat of his words.

So this was why Arielle didn't get called in. Even her father realized that Arielle was just a pawn in Jade's grand scheme.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jade smiled as winningly as she could under the present circumstances, "I already adore Hannah. I _absolutely_ just love her _to death_." Jade emphasized symbolically, keeping the smile on her face.

May Hannah actually suffer a real one, in a painful way, Jade sneered in the inner recesses of her mind.

"Good. Now, make sure you don't have a problem sticking to it." Her father said, finally walking back and settling back into his desk. "You are dismissed."

Jade nodded curtly, then quickly backed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She immediately did her therapeutic exhaling breaths, managing to keep everything together until she reached to her room and was able to close the door and lock it.

Then, in one motion, she leapt across the room and pulled out her fresh packs of pencils. Then, reaching for two at a time, she broke them, letting the wood shaving fall to the ground. Jade broke more and more until she'd used up two packs. Jade breathed heavily. Breaking things always helped her keep her head in the right place.

As long as it's not anybody else's head.

She collapsed at the foot of her bed, picking up a pile of half-pencils and squeezing them into her palm and the ground. The harder she pressed the sharp wooden tips, the easier it was to calm and will herself not to scream bloody hell.

When she was able to calm herself down, she started to see how foolish she was, how incredibly overrated she was making this out to be.

While intimidating, Mark Lewallen was human. Jade was fully equipped and armed to take him down. She didn't need to touch a single hair on his precious Hannah's head. All she had to do was hit her where it hurt until she was gasping for breath.

Jade looked up from where she'd collapsed on the floor. There was nothing she couldn't do. And if she had to, she was willing to try everything. Whoever stood in her way would only be an obstacle.

Feeling much better, she stood up and was entirely composed when Carla once again opened her door.

"Dinner, miss." she said, then her eyes fell to the neglected wooden pencil leftovers and she looked to Jade uncertainly.

"Just practicing," Jade looked at her and smiled slowly. She walked out the door, leaving Carla scrambling to pick up the shards.

A fire had been ignited within her, and with each move she made, it only grew stronger. Over time, it could eventually consume her until she had no more compassion left.

Careful, everyone. Those of us that are smart will get to higher ground. Those of us that aren't, might just end up being the ones that get burned.


	8. Chapter 8

**My, My. The Things Children Think About Nowadays…**

The steam poured out from the top of the bathroom cover, as Chase slowly geared the handle so that the hot water nearly burned her back. She clawed her body with her nails, but she couldn't get rid of the horrible feeling of imaginary chunks of vegetables pouring down her back. She turned the handle in reverse and turned off the spray of water. Even though she was now living in Beverly Hills, a place where people could afford to go around buying summer vacation houses as a hobby, she still felt the need to conserve water. Sixteen years of barely having enough of it had taught her that she needed to use only the amount she needed, and not to be overly luxurious. She could hardly afford bubble baths every day after school, even if she'd had food dumped all over her.

Chase opened the shower door, hearing the glass rattle slightly as it moved aside. As she stepped out, wrapping a fuzzy towel around her and tucking the edge, she saw that the bathroom mirrors were clouded with steam, making it hard for her to see anything.

Reaching up, Chase used her palm and wiped some of the steam off. She stared into the face of the girl in front of her and sighed. This girl in front of her oozed uncertainty: she was forgettable and weak, easy to push around.

Well, she was just going to have to change that, Chase decided. Tomorrow, if she got more food poured down her back, she'd make sure to throw a cup of chocolate milk back into the face of whoever did it. If anyone wanted to pants her in the hallways, she'd make sure to pull the girl's skirt down with her. She didn't have to be mean, but that didn't mean that she had to let everyone step all over her, either. From now on, Chase van Buren was going to take charge of her own life!

Whoever told her that it doesn't hurt to try was lying.

Chase pulled on the freshly laundered pile of clothes that were sitting on top of her new, silk sheets. It gave a tiny rustling sound whenever Chase touched it, and she had to resist jumping in between her covers and pulling the creamy pillows over the top of her head. Chase took the sheets into her hands and rubbed it with her fingers, then buried her head into the pillow.

Chase jerked her head back again and frowned at the pillow. There was something weird about it. Gently, she laid her face back down and rubbed it again. Hearing the crinkling sound of paper, she thrust her hands through the opening, and pulled out the culprit.

It was a wad of paper that made a crackling sound every time Chase squeezed it. She smoothed it out and counted it. There were a total of ten sheets of paper. The first nine ones, it turned out, was blank. On the last one, there was something written in red.

"Beware," it read on the front. Chase frowned. Who would ever send this kind of creepy message to her? It almost made Chase scared to get into her bed tonight now. Then, seeing that there was something written on the back, she turned it over. On it, someone had scribbled, "Nothing is ever what it seems."

There was no name, no indication of the gender, nothing. Quickly crinkling up the papers again, Chase stashed it underneath her bed so that it wouldn't bother her.

Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Still, Chase looked around the room wearily, like the author of the note could be hiding below her bookshelf. Most likely the person was long gone by now. In fact, the note had probably been left for her while she was in the shower. It was certainly something to think about. The thought that someone had been in the room all along with her without her knowing was starting to get on her nerves.

Luckily, someone decided to have mercy on Chase—really, first public humiliation and then a stalker note, what next?—and provide a distraction. "Dinner's ready, Miss." a short girl with her brown hair pulled back into a bun stuck her head inside the room and announced, her eyes curiously prying on every detail of Chase's room and face. Around here, word traveled fast, apparently.

"Uh, cool. Thanks." Chase said, turning her face so that the girl would stop staring at her. The pointed look was starting to get on her nerves now. "I'll just go, I guess." Chase said awkwardly, starting for the door and banging her hip on the frame as she turned to leave.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by her tiny blunder, Chase quickly ducked out as soon as possible, nearly running down the stairs as fast as she could. Really, if the staircase hadn't been located just to the right of her room, she would've never been able to find her way. Who knew where she'd end up before they found her wandering around the house, still trying to get to the dinner table.

Fortunately, everything was easier from there. At the bottom, all she had to do was follow the sound of her mother and Mark's voice and then, the dining room appeared.

_Thank goodness_, Chase thought as she entered.

"Hey," Chase said, sitting down in the chair closest to her. She smiled embarrassedly, knowing very well that her hair was still damp and dripping. But, since only her mom, Mark, and Connor were here, she figured that she could get away with secretly wringing out the water into her hands and then wiping it on her jeans.

"Well, I wonder where they are," Mark commented in an offhand manner, as he glanced up at the clock like he was timing the speed.

"Blake should be here," her mom pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ears, "right about—"

Right on time, Blake threw open the dining room glass doors and stood in the doorway, an almost heroic air surrounding him as he stood in between the frames.

"Now," her mom finished, glancing at Blake with an expression of both anger and relief that her son wasn't the last one.

"Well, well. It seems like I'm early," he said, taking his place beside Chase. "Despite my best efforts," he muttered to himself, looking at the two empty seats directly in front of them. The table was situated for eight, and the last chair at the end was empty as well. Ornate wooden carvings were etched into it, so that there were flourishes up on top of the chair. Above their heads, a tiny chandelier hung, where its dimness could be adjusted, depending on how romantic you wanted to be. To complete the homely look, velvet curtains hung over the bay windows and an extensive bouquet of flowers sat right in the middle of the table. The room was, of course, decorated with the requisite priceless paintings and smelled of fresh pines.

The glass doors were pushed open again, and Chase saw Mark raise his head in annoyance and his eyes flash with a small, temporary flicker of anger. Then, it was gone, and he's mood was seemingly restored.

"Everyone," he said, gesturing at the door. "My daughters, Jade and Arielle Lewallen."

Chase swiveled her head around and her jaw almost dropped. Standing in the doorway was the beautiful blonde from Spanish class. And standing beside her was another equally striking girl.

The blonde, buttery curls and bright blue eyes, was wearing a gorgeous black dress that flattered her figure eight shape. She smiled at everyone, lifting a perfectly manicured nail, "I'm Arielle." she said, biting her lip slightly as she smiled.

The brunette stepped forward too as her sister said that, and into the light. Now that she did, Chase saw that she was not nearly as beautiful as her sister, but Jade oozed a sort of confidence and superiority that Arielle lacked. Her dark locks were lively under her grey eyes, and the way she walked, it was like she already knew she was born to be in the spotlight. Strolling to the front of the table with her red V-neck, she slowly lifted her eyelids and smiled too, "Jade."

Together, Jade and Arielle were as different as two completely different beings. If Arielle was the sun, then Jade was the moon. If Arielle was fire, Jade was the icy, cold water. But the two of them seemed to complete each other. Jade's sharper qualities melted with Arielle's softness and balanced each other out. Neither could survive without the other. Chase had never seen anything as terrible or as perfect as this before.

Diagonally across, Chase heard her mother give a sharp intake of breath as she saw Jade in clear light. Jade swiveled her head to look at Hannah, and gave a little puzzled expression, furrowing her freshly waxed eyebrow like she was trying to remember where she'd seen Hannah before. Her mom looked over at Mark, and he quickly gave a little shake of his head, and she didn't say anything more.

Hannah wasn't the only one hyperventilating either. Blake was practically salivating at the mouth at the moment. The only difference was that he was excited for completely different reasons.

Guys will be guys, after all.

Holy shit, Blake smirked. This was Blondie's house. The two of them were practically roommates. If only he'd known about this sooner, he wouldn't have been this eager to leave so soon. Not that this bombshell in front of him could compensate for having to uproot his whole entire life. But still, it made him feel a little better.

Maybe He was finally feeling bad up there, for giving Blake no breaks in this lonely existence. And if He wanted to keep these little surprises in life coming, who was Blake to argue?

He watched as Jade and Arielle both sat down in front of him and Chase.

Or rather, he watched Arielle. Jade had seemed so fake from the moment he saw her today. People who smiled the way she did could be complimenting you on the outside and thinking about the many ways they could stab you on the inside. It was way too complicated for him to even try to figure out what her true intentions were, so he simply didn't bother.

"So, how was school today?" his mom smiled down at the plate as she cut the lamb chops the cook had brought out. The knife made a delicate, clinking noise against the plate.

"Good," Chase replied, shooting Blake a sidelong glance, begging him not to tell her about what happened in the cafeteria. Blake rolled his eyes. His sister was so anal about being mommy's little perfect child, she could have her head dumped down the toilet and still come home and smile about it.

"I got a detention," Blake said, still chewing on his mouthful of lamb. "School's still school. Sucked ass as usual." He finished bluntly, swallowing the food in his mouth. He, for one, didn't give a shit about what Mark would think of him, or his own mom for that matter.

After all, if his mom even cared about him, she would've at least asked his opinion on their move. As it is, all she'd done was talk about how fabulous Mark was and how much better their lives were going to be. Not once had she even paused to hear about Blake's own opinions. So, he figured he was justified in not having to lie through his teeth and in putting his mom on the spot for her horrible parenting skills.

"What'd you do this time?" Hannah put her knife down and looked over at Blake sternly. _You had better not make me look too bad_, her eyes read angrily as they looked into his. Not that it helped the situation at all.

She should've known by now that it wasn't like Blake followed the rules or anything. If he did, they wouldn't even be having this conversation. As it was, he couldn't resist himself.

"Oh, believe me, it wasn't as bad as the time I flushed the keys to the finals cabinet down the toilet, or that other time when I Xeroxed pages of porno to put into the teacher's desk." Blake smiled angelically. "I only tried to knife a kid for being disrespectful. Teaching him some manners and all that great stuff they were supposed to teach him way back in kindergarten." He gave a little conspiratorial wink to his mom, like they were both finding this hilarious, when she was obviously horrified on the inside. He patted her hand, comfortingly. "Don't worry. They haven't even threatened to send me to Juvie yet. Now, that _has_ to be a record for me."

He looked over at Mark, who looked like he was having second thoughts about letting this obnoxious kid into his family. Good. As long as Blake had to stay here, he was going to wreak a lot more havoc. Besides, judging from the way Arielle's mouth was silently laughing, these pristine little millionaires needed a little entertainment from their stiff, daily routines.

"Well, maybe, you'll serve detention with Duke. He got into trouble this morning by crashing Holder's car on the way to school." Jade piped up from her spot, twirling some noodles around her fork.

"It sounds like we should get along fabulously then." Blake said, looking Jade dead in the eyes.

"I hope so. It would kill me if I had to pick between my boyfriend and my brother," Jade smiled with her lips, but her eyes remained unmoving and cold. It was obvious that she knew that Blake didn't trust her.

"I'll certainly try, just for you, _sis_." Blake said sarcastically, purposely matching her tone.

"I appreciate the extreme effort and patience you would have to go through to restrain yourself from knifing my boyfriend," Jade hissed in a lower voice, as their parents resumed to talking about stuff only people who were in love had the patience to talk about. Chase and Arielle made small talk on the other side of them.

"It's no problem. You can owe me one," Blake's lips curled derisively. He almost liked Jade better when she wasn't pretending to be all happy about the upcoming marriage Anybody could see that neither of them would have liked anything more than to put both their parents on opposite ends of the United States.

"Of course. That is, only if you're good and haven't been sent away to Juvenile Hall yet." Jade twisted her knife, grinding it into the lamb chops viciously like she was stabbing a pig.

Torturing dead things is what they teach her in those therapy sessions?

"I'll keep that in mind when I'm around that body of yours." Blake laughed out loud, half pulling up the front of his shirt as he stretched and yawned.

"Because if my dear old step-daddy doesn't mind me saying, Jade, you've got a body that I would dearly love to fuck someday." Blake said louder this time, cutting off all conversation.

Then, seeing his mother's face, he added, "Oops. I forgot. I can't say the fuck word."

"Blake," his mom stood up, slamming her palm on the smooth wooden table. "Go. Now." Her voice lowered sinisterly.

"Very well," Blake sighed in mock shame, even though he was thrilled to be able to get away from the dinner table. "Some other day then, Jade. Or night, if you prefer." He smiled knowingly, scraping back his chair so that it screeched sickeningly against the marble floor.

"Blake, just go." Hannah's face was contorted with shame. For a moment, Blake felt bad for what he'd just done. Then, he remembered that she had gotten herself into this mess in the first place. If she hadn't made them all move, he could've still been happy back home. Knowing that made all the regret go away.

At least, enough for him to say before he left, "I'll be in my bedroom. If anyone needs me for anything." He added significantly, before ducking out of the dining room.

Chase watched her brother go with a mixture of respect and pity. Respect because he had the guts to do all that, and pity because she was pretty sure that he was going to get in major trouble for everything he'd just said back there.

She was pretty sure that telling your future step-father that you would like to sleep with his daughter (who also happened to be your future step-sister) was not the best plan towards a warm and loving father-son relationship.

"Well," Hannah tried to laugh it off in a casual way. "Blake's always been a handful."

Understatement of the year for someone who prints up porno and carries around a knife in his jacket.

Mark cleared his throat quietly and attempted his own laugh. "Yeah. He's got quite a personality, doesn't he?" From the way his eyes didn't smile, it was obvious just exactly what Mark thought about that personality.

Suddenly, Chase felt the need to stand up and tell the two of them to shut up about Blake. Sure he wasn't exactly the most well-behaved kid, but he was her brother.

Chase remembered back when she was nine. Back then, all the guys in Blake's grade had been into poking Jim the Turtle and seeing who could make Jim crawl the fastest by poking him the hardest. In the world of guys, it was probably a show of strength and power. Blake had always joined in to poke the turtle the hardest in front of all his guy friends. But something gave Chase the feeling that he never wanted to. Then, one day, the turtle went missing, kidnapped. Coincidentally, Chase later found a turtle in Blake's room, with Scooby-doo band-aids all over its shell. She'd never confronted her brother about it, but she got the feeling that this was ten-year-old Blake's way of saying sorry to the turtle.

It reminded her of him now. Everyone had been so quick to judge him, but no one ever thought that maybe this was just another macho veneer. Maybe Blake just didn't want—or had forgotten how—to show that vulnerability. It didn't mean that it wasn't there, though. He just knew how to hide it better.

Feeling very angry all of a sudden, Chase spoke up, "Well, maybe he's such a handful because you were never around to make sure he wasn't."

Her mom looked up and narrowed her eyes on Chase. "Chase Rebecca van Buren, that's quite enough."

And Chase, the coward that she was, didn't say anything more. The thing was, she did want to defend Blake, but she also knew that her mom hadn't been around because she had been busy working three jobs to support their family. And a part of Chase just couldn't blame Hannah for that, especially when her mother was the only reason they were still here and not on the streets, dying of starvation and the cold.

Jade cleared her throat quietly, to get everyone's attention. "Well, as much as I enjoyed this lovely family dinner, I'm afraid I have to leave now. Plans with Duke, you know. May I please be excused?"

Mark Lewallen looked at his daughter. "Wait there for just a second. I've just had a brilliant idea."

"Oh?" Jade asked politely, even though she kept glancing at the ornate, golden clock that hung on the wall in a way that made it seem like she was in a great hurry for something very important.

"There's no reason why you shouldn't just take Chase here and introduce her to Winter and your little group of friends." Mark boomed from his seat, folding his arms. The way he looked at Jade made it clear that this brilliant idea was not a choice, but a demand.

Chase panicked slightly on the inside. While she did want to make friends here, she had never been a social climber. The whole popularity issue was not interesting to her; it was even a bit intimidating. So, she tried to stay away from it. The popular girls at her old school had seemed so superficial and identical, that Chase wasn't sure that she could fit in, even if she wanted to. Rather, Chase had enjoyed the company of a couple of close friends and her drama activities.

Jade glanced at Chase briefly and then looked at her father. "That's a wonderful idea, Dad. I would love to." Jade smiled at Chase warmly.

"Great. It's settled, then." Mark said, leaving no room for Chase to even attempt to fake a busy night of homework.

"Okay, Dad." Jade said, standing up and addressed Chase. "I'll meet you in the car in five minutes, okay?" she called behind her shoulder, not bothering to hear what Chase had to say.

Chase considered her options: a) say no to Mark Lewallen and risk pissing him off even more than her brother already had and getting kicked out of Beverly Hills or b) face a group of materialistic, high-maintenance Barbies who would all probably talk about their sexual conquests for two hours.

Of the two, Option B was a little more favorable. After all, hearing a group of teenage girls squeal about guys was not going to hurt her.

No, but what a certain not-so-nice person has in mind just might.

**AN: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last time! It's a great motivation. I swear I'll try to get around to responding to everyone who reviewed. I know I'm not very good at being consistent with uploading. After I take my SAT Math Subject Test, I should get better, hopefully. But, for now, here's chapter 8. I hope you guys enjoy it. I certainly had fun writing it. Also, this time, I would love to hear what some of you want to happen in the next chapter, or even eventually. It could even be totally random, if you want. ******** Again, thanks for reading my story, and please review it if you get the time. Thanks!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hey! I know I haven't updated in a long time, but I've been absolutely dying from all the schoolwork. But now that it's spring break, I've made a little progress on the story, where it left off of next time. So, thanks again to everybody reading it, I would love to hear all your ideas and critiques and opinions. Please review and feel free to share you thoughts with me! Thanks!!!!!!!!**

**A Little White Lie Never Hurts Anybody**

West Tyson glanced around at the room for what had to be the fiftieth time. The walls were painted a shade of royal purple that complemented the dark marble flooring. The couches they were lounging on were meant to be sat on comfortably for many hours, if people wanted to talk privately. Downstairs, was the real club scene. Beats of whatever music was playing floated up into the room, even through the close shut doors.

West shot a sideways look at Ryder, who seemed like he would much rather be on the dance floor, by the way his feet were tapping slightly in rhythm with the beat. On the other side of Ryder, Duke yawned, stretching out his arms.

"Where is she?" Ryder gave Duke a dead-on glare. West couldn't blame him. The three of them had been waiting for at least over half an hour and Jade was still missing.

"How am I supposed to know?" Duke returned Ryder's look with a perplexed look, like Mr. Varner had just asked him why Newton decided to throw an apple and not a pear.

"Oh, I don't know. It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that she's your girlfriend or anything," Ryder said sarcastically, feeling like he wanted to kill himself. This whole thing was a shitload of crap. He felt like such a sissy. _Let's all decided on who's in and who's out, _a girly falsetto voice said in the back of his mind.

_Holy shit, now I can even hear myself talking girly_, Ryder thought horrifically. Call him stupid, but he honestly felt like he was losing a touch of his manliness, being around Jade and Arielle and Winter so much. He was a person of simple needs: food, sleep, money, girls, and soccer. Since when did he have anything to do with devising secret plans to secure his social status? That was like saying that there was something wrong with him. Besides, Jade never listened to any of his ideas anyway.

Ryder fully intended to get her a nice journal for her upcoming sixteenth birthday. Then, she could have all the conversations she wanted, _by herself_. Then, when she was done planning, she could execute them _by herself_. She wouldn't ever need Ryder again, except to thank him for giving her such a brilliant present.

It was a perfect win-win situation.

"Hey boys, Winter," the voice of the devil herself came from the doorway, announcing Jade's arrival. "Sorry I'm late. Our visitor here couldn't find her way out to the garage."

Ryder glanced up. _Huh? _Then, he felt a grin twitch slightly at the corner of his mouth. Instead of Arielle, it was that red-head. Jade's soon-to-be step-sister. That girl was so hot, even when she was covering more than she was exposing.

"Sorry," Chase mumbled, scuffing the tip of her boot against the marble floor in a sort of embarrassed way. She looked like she would much rather be doing something else right now.

"No, no," Jade said in a reassuring tone, gently squeezing Chase's arm, "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I have to explain to them or else they would be mad at me."

As if the rest of them actually had the guts to do so.

"Chase van Buren, this is the…group." Jade paused for the tiniest second. She seemed to be searching for the right word to describe the rest of them. After all, in school, it wasn't like they had some kind of cliquey name.

"Everybody, Chase van Buren," Jade waved her hand, not even bothering to tell Chase their names. "Thanks for waiting for us, guys," Jade said sweetly. "Now that we're here, I would much rather join the club scene downstairs. It's a little too quiet up here."

Ryder jumped up. Perfect timing. He made sure that he was out of Jade's line of sight as soon as possible, jogging down the steps, where the music gradually grew louder until it became almost impossible to even think. Exactly what he wanted.

"Hey," he said, seeing a random girl with her ass in a pair of shorts that looked more like underwear. The girl appraised him up and down, then slowly stretched into a smile. "Hey," she said back, batting her eyelashes.

"Dance?" Ryder asked, keeping their conversation to a bare minimal.

"Sure, as soon as I get something to drink," she inclined her head towards the general direction of where that was supposed to be, batting her lashes again.

"I'll get one for you," he offered graciously, in sudden need to have something in his system to get Jade's twisted plot out of his head. His plan was to get as much alcohol into his system as possible, then worry about the hangover tomorrow.

The girl smiled flirtatiously, "In that case, thank you," she said, batting away. Internally, Ryder frowned. He was getting pretty damn sick of those lashes, fluttering in his direction. Whatever, it wasn't like he was looking for a relationship or anything. In fact, he didn't even want to hook up with her; all he wanted was one dance where both of them were so smashed that they wouldn't even remember each other the next day.

He spun around, and almost crashed into Chase. "Well, hello, there." Ryder folded his arms across his chest, feeling his biceps push against the shirt he was wearing. Girls went all crazy when he did that. And when Ryder took off his shirt for the soccer championships last year, one girl had even fainted.

"Oh, it's you again," Chase muttered, not even looking at the bulging muscles rippling in Ryder's arms. She was staring at the floor again. Ryder felt a wave of both agitation and curiosity ebb through him. That was not the response he'd been looking for. He had expected more reverence and flirtation. What was so interesting down there anyway? Sure, her legs were great and everything, but he doubted that was the reason she was always looking down.

"What's so great about the floor? Am I missing out on something important?" Ryder snapped, unable to resist himself.

"What?" She asked, leading the way to a spot where the music wasn't nearly as loud, and they could hear each other. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, you're always looking down. I figured there must be something truly fascinating there." Ryder said, in a slightly kinder tone then the one he'd just used.

Of course the only thing fascinating Ryder found down there were her boobs, but he decided to keep that to himself.

"There's nothing down there." Chase mumbled, looking up. "If you grew up in a place where you had to walk through dark alleys every single day, you'd keep your head down too, if you didn't want anyone to notice and beat the crap out of you."

Ryder snorted. Imagine, someone beating the crap out of him. He practically lived at the gym. He knew the weight lifts even better than some of his friends. "I would like to see someone try that," he scoffed haughtily.

"Oh yeah? Ever used a knife?" Chase raised her eyebrows, and crossed her arms.

"With these babies, I'd like to see anyone try," Ryder said, pointedly nodding at his biceps so that Chase had to look.

She did and shrugged it off carelessly like it all meant nothing to her. "Eh. Think they'll work against real weapons?" She yawned tiredly, like the conversation was already starting to bore her.

Ryder took a small step back, stunned. In all his life, no girl had ever dared talk to him like that. Confusion hit him at first, then slight anger, then respect. While it was disconcerting to feel so low, Ryder felt a small wave of admiration for this girl in front of him, who'd obviously seen more than he could ever imagine.

"Ryder, there you are!" Jared called, slithering sideways through the throng of dancers, most of them so drunk they had already taken off their shirts.

"Ah, Jade. Is there something I can help you with?" Ryder said, deepening his voice impressively.

"Actually, yes. I lost my cell phone somewhere. Help me look for it?" Jade said, smiling at Ryder. "Sorry, Chase. You don't mind, do you?" Jade raised her eyebrows in faux-interest.

"No, go ahead. I'll just be right outside." Chase said, stepping into the crowd of people so quickly that she was swallowed within seconds.

"Okay, now what do you really want?" Ryder said, looking longing after the direction that Chase had took off for.

"Here, come with me to the bathroom. I'll show you." Jade said faintly, leading Ryder by the arm, like her faithful dog.

Ryder drew back, horrified. He had to draw the line somewhere. Planning like crazy with a bunch of girls with nothing better to do was one thing. Going inside a girl's bathroom was completely different. The situation was bordering embarrassing. He could only imagine what his soccer buddies would say if they could see him now. No, correction. He knew exactly what they'd do: laugh at him until he wanted to kill himself from the shame.

"Ryder, you are so slow," Jade remarked, gritting her teeth slightly and glaring at Ryder.

Ryder gulped inaudibly. Maybe he would just make sure nobody told his soccer buddies.  
Jade sighed as she pushed open the door to the girl's restroom. Ryder stared at the stick figure on the door sign. It seemed to be mocking him

Jade slowly put her bag on the marble counter and took out her lipstick, applying it in a way that made Ryder think of the grim reaper. It made Ryder mad to see Jade taking her sweet time. Every minute here was a minute of slow, painful, internal death. By the time she even opened her mouth, Ryder would be nothing more than a little pathetic puddle.

When Jade finally finished, she took out a bottle of perfume and stroked the glass lovingly. "So, tell me Ryder. Are you falling for the little vermin?"

Ryder blinked, and quickly stared to his right and left, trying to plan his escape if things should get violent. "No," he said unconvincingly.

"Don't lie to me," Jade laughed with an edge of severity underneath.

When Ryder opened his mouth to deny it, she cut him off, spraying her hair, neck, and wrists with the bottle of perfume. "Oh, don't deny it. Don't get me wrong. I think it's lovely that the two of you are hitting it off so well."

Her tone was slightly derisive as she sniffed her own wrists. Ryder's brain went crazy, just trying to figure out if she was serious or not. "Oh, that's cool, right?" he finally said lamely, because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

She ignored him, except with an amused glance. "You see this?" she held up her bottle.

Ryder looked at it briefly. It looked perfectly normal to him. Jade's customary Dior bottle: rectangular, and see-through. Nothing special.

"Yeah?" Ryder said uncertainly, the word coming out as a question.

"I wonder what happens if I accidentally let it," Jade dropped the bottle to the ground with a shatter so that the broken fragments scattered on the tiled floor and the liquid inside leaked out, filling the room with a sickly, over-sweet odor of way too much perfume at once.

"What?" Ryder stared at Jade like she'd gone crazy. Nobody purposely threw glass to the ground. What if the next person cut themselves or something?

"You see," Jade kicked away a large piece of broken glass. "some things are completely replaceable." She withdrew another bottle of the same perfume from her endless purse, and sprayed it into the air, test-sniffing it.

She looked dead-on at Ryder. "Some things, however, are not."

"I don't get it," Ryder said stupidly, with no shame at all. In his opinion, Jade's plans were normally very complicated. He didn't have the energy to figure out all her little intrinsic details.

"You feel this," she walked over to him and put her hand against his heart, so that she could feel the thumping noise.

"You ever wonder what it would be like if it just…stopped?" Jade smiled viciously, enjoying the slow spread of horror across Ryder's face.

"You want me to…kill her?" he asked hoarsely. He backed away horrifically, seeing Jade in a whole new light. In the dimness of the bathroom, she looked evil. Definitely evil enough to propose something like that.

"Of course not," Jade rolled her eyes, wiping her hand on her jeans, like Ryder's shirt had been contaminated. "What I'm saying is," she paused to roll her tongue once around her lips, "some things are better off dead than broken irreparably. Wouldn't you say?" She looked at him significantly.

"Holy shit Jade," he whispered. Why did she always remind him of that?

It was as if it gave her a secret pleasure every time she brought it up. Seeing his face crumple alone would make her happy.

"Keep my secret, and I'll keep yours." Jade looked at him right in the eyes, so that Ryder could see her very soul in those grey eyes. And what he say scared him.

"What do you want me to do?" Ryder asked, hating himself for caving again to her whims.

"It's very simple. Make Chase fall for you. I heard you're quite good at that." She paused for effect and eyed him significantly. "Make her give it all up for you. Then, leave her with nothing." Jade hissed, her voice sounding eerily soft.

"Do that for me, and I'll let you know something. It might just take away some of that hurt you're keeping inside." Jade kissed his cheek demurely.

Ryder turned away. Jade's kisses were nothing but knives that she plunged deeper into him every time. "About Kate?" he asked for clarification.

"About Kate." She confirmed, kissing his other cheek, in a demonstration of her mental control over him.

"Deal," Ryder steeled his voice, and cleared his throat of the unwanted lump.

"Make sure you can keep it," she threw at him, a last sympathy warning, before exiting out of the bathroom, leaving Ryder alone as the spilled perfume slowly flowed onto the floor as surely as the bloodshed and tears he would soon have on his hands.


	10. Chapter 10

**Dear Arielle, what a Prudish Whore **

Arielle padded through her house silently. After Jade and Chase had disappeared, she'd been quick to hightail it out of the dining room. Sitting there alone with Carson while staring at her dad's love-struck expression was yet another unbearable reminder of just exactly how alone Arielle was.

She had to face it: everybody got sick of her eventually.

Stop it, Arielle. She scolded herself sternly, pinching her pretty, upturned nose when she felt the all-too-familiar sensation of stomach sickness swooping through her insides.

Well, if Jade wanted to spend some night befriending Chase and getting drunk off her ass, that was fine with Arielle. She couldn't wait to see Jade in the morning, when the hangover and reality finally took over. And Arielle would be free as a bird to silently say inside her head, "I told you so."

Besides, not all fun had to be with Jade.

"Pst!" Arielle popped her head inside Blake's slightly open door.

"Oh, hey. " Blake popped his ear phones out of his ears, looking almost genuinely happy to see Arielle. "What's up?"

"Oh," Arielle stepped in almost embarrassedly, even this was technically her house and not his. Still, she felt awkward, like she was invading his private space. Plus, she was clothed only in her fluffy bathrobe.

Something tells me Blake doesn't mind at all.

"Yeah?" Blake asked politely, swiveling around so that his entire body was facing Arielle.

Arielle scrambled her mind. Somehow, the words got stuck in her throat. What did she want to talk to him about again? Oh yeah. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go down to the hot-tub with me? Because it's really hot in here and everything."

Blake shrugged, "Why not? Let's go." He hopped out of his chair, and dialed the switch, so that the lights dimmed down.

"Oh, aren't you going to change?" Arielle asked timidly. Nobody went into their hot tub without at least changing into swim-gear. Sometimes, if the six of them got trashed enough, they'd all jump in with nothing on.

"Into what? The three hundred dollar swim trunks my daddy's personal shopper got for me?" Blake said sharply, his eyes blazing indescribably with, surprisingly enough, hurt.

Arielle was taken back. Nobody talked to her like that. Besides, they had been getting just fine this afternoon. He seemed to have even more mood-swings than her. "Well, sorry, if you can't afford it. It's not exactly my problem." She said back at him, looking him angrily in the eye.

"You're right, your highness. It's not." Blake said curtly, turning his face away from hers so that the two of them spent the rest of the way walking in stony silence.

When they got outside, Arielle made sure that she got out of her bathrobe and into the water as soon as possible, closing her eyes, leaving Blake no chance to disturb her at all or talk to her. Maybe Jade was right, after all. These strangers would never be like them, never understand their lifestyle. From now on, Arielle decided, Arielle would back Jade in whatever nasty little plans she had. After all, these people weren't much nicer anyway.

Eyes still closed, she heard the small splash of water as Blake slipped into the water too. Did he really just jump in, fully clothed, she wondered briefly. Temptation guiding her on, she opened her eyelids a fraction of an inch, only to find Blake's face right in front of hers. She gasped, and quickly snapped her eyes shut again.

He laughed next to her. "Come here, you," he said, pulling her quickly onto his lap.

She opened her big blue eyes and glared at him. "Oh, so now you want to talk?" After you just yelled at me five minutes ago, she added, fuming in the back of her mind.

"Yeah. I have some anger issues. Child abandonment and loneliness, I'm sure you'd understand. But will it make it better if I apologized?" he said, burying his face into her hair. This move scared her a little. She felt tiny goosebumps raise her skin, and she shuddered a little.

"Maybe," she conceded, keeping her voice level even so it didn't squeak.

"Then, I'm sorry," he said formally, tucking her under him, the way her dad used to do, when she was little.

"You have to at least say why you're acting all bipolar!" Arielle said indignantly. A though suddenly came to her. Jade would absolutely just die if she could see Arielle right now. And somehow, that made Arielle stronger. She was tired of always thinking about whether Jade would like her decision or not. Even if it wasn't even that big of a deal, it made Arielle happy that she could do something that would go under Jade's no-no list. Like she was in control of her own life, or something

"God, I hate this place so much," Blake offered as an explanation, looking up at the stars painted against the black sky-drop of the dewy night.

"That's a first," Arielle grumbled at the lack of a better explanation. He might as well tell her the real reason. It wasn't like Arielle would go blabbed about it, anyways. Then, a sick feeling hit her. It would be like the old Arielle to go and exactly do just that: report back to Jade like a puppy with its leash lashed tightly around its neck.

"Yeah, this place is nice with all the hottest shit, but it's not home," Blake said abruptly pushing Arielle off of him abruptly so that she bumped her hip against the cemented edge.

Ouch. Gentler next time, please.

Arielle rubbed her bruised spot ruefully. But in a way, she understood exactly what Blake meant. She looked around the special grounds. It looked perfect, with its air of impeccable taste. From the gazebo, to the outside tennis courts, to the incredible silhouette of the swimming pool, with the house in the background, this place was outrageously expensive and exquisite.

But Blake was right: this was not home. From the empty hallways to the silent grounds, Arielle had always felt a sense of extreme loneliness, whenever she looked out her bedroom window and onto the pristine, perfectly cut grassy lawn. Instead of feeling like she had the perfect lawn, she's always felt like it was so fake. Unreal. A kind of cover for all the shit in life that was happening around her.

"You're right. It's not," she said softly, making little waves with her cupped hand.

"You live here," Blake said pointedly, raising his eyebrows inquiringly. "Don't you have to like it?"

"No. It used to be a lot better when my mom was still around. Our family didn't used to be so messed up." Arielle said, feeling the normal lump in her throat boil up to the surface.

"Where is she now?" Blake asked softly, but not unkindly. He watched Arielle curiously out of the corner of his eye with a certain curiosity.

"She's not with us anymore," Arielle said, feeling the smallest tear leak into her ear. She quickly passed it off as just another droplet of water from the hot tub.

"She left you?" Blake clenched his jaw. He suddenly looked very old all of a sudden, much older than seventeen years old.

"She died." Arielle simply said, letting those two words take care of everything. Many of her friends all wanted to know the same question. So, she just told them what they wanted to hear, and endured their oozing sympathies, even though she knew how lucky they felt inside that Arielle's mom was the one that died and not theirs.

"If it makes you feel any better," Blake licked his lips and blew out a stream of air, popping his head back so that it rested on the edge, "my father left me when I was ten."

"I'm sorry," Arielle offered, because it felt like the only thing to say to that kind of a confession. It was bad enough that her mom wasn't around. She could only imagine how it felt to know that a parent purposely abandoned you. Didn't want you. It made her want to know more, to let Blake trust her.

"What was he like?" She asked, putting a hand on him and watching him carefully, even as he carefully stared ahead into the darkness.

"He was everything I wanted to be, but could not be. I used to look up to him, and think to myself that if only I looked like him, everything would be fine. You see, I used to be one of those super scrawny kids who'd go running after the big kids, trying to fit in." Blake said, running his hand over his wet, golden-brown head nostalgically. "He would always try to toughen me up. If I came home beat up, he'd send me out of the house so I could get hit until I learned how to hit back."

"Back then, on the block, there was this kid called Tommy Gallagher, hands down the most brutal person in the school. My father would always say how he wished that I was just like Tommy: tough and brutal. I started running around with him to make my dad happy. And running around with Tommy Gallagher meant that the only option I had was to look like him. I started to eating more and working out at home. I started training after school. Then, suddenly, no one was beating me up anymore. With a combination of both Tommy Gallagher's group and my new physique, people started being scared of me. And that is power you don't get everyday."

Blake paused, just long enough for Arielle to look at his biceps to see if it was really true. It was.

"But I hated it. I hated Tommy and that entire group. They jumped scrawny kids like me all the time, and shop-lifted. The juvenile delinquents of our time, people used to say. The ones that would all either end up in jail by twenty one or die in a back alley. By the time we hit eighth grade, I had had enough of him telling us what to do all the time."

Now, doesn't that sound awfully familiar?

"So, one day, I plain out told him that I hated his guts. You can only imagine how someone like Tommy Gallagher would take that. I went home that day with a broken nose." Blake jutted his chin, showing off his slightly crooked nose to prove his point. "Tommy went back with three broken fingers, one black eye, and a broken leg. I think they had to take him to the hospital for that one." He smiled at the memory, while Arielle gaped horrifically.

"You don't feel bad at all? For beating people up like that?" In the world of Arielle, nobody did that kind of stuff to each other. Even if they did, they didn't go around parading it like a badge of honor.

"Nah. Some people out there actually deserve things like that to happen to them. And, I didn't even enjoy it that much. But it was the first time my dad told me he was proud of me. For beating his friend's kid." Blake laughed and shook his head so that specks of water fell from his hair. "He gave me that pocket-knife that day. Told me it was a sign of my manhood." This time, his laugh was bitter and full of anger.

"I thought I had earned his respect. I was wrong. Once I had done something good, he wanted something else. He'd been complaining a long time that I was never good at anything. No sports, nothing. He'd been the basketball star back then, and it was a damn crying shame to him that his son couldn't even dribble. I hated basketball. But he wanted a basketball star, so I promised to give him exactly that."

"He left us not too long after that." Blake said in his matter-of-fact voice. "It was my fourteenth birthday. And I came home early that day for us to practice shooting hoops together. I went upstairs and he was packing. I asked him where he was going and if I could come along. He sat down on his bed and told me, for the first time in his life, that he loved me. That one day, he'd come back for me."

"Well, it's been more than three years and I've never heard from him again. I made the school varsity basketball team my sophomore year. Even made the front page for scoring a record number of baskets in a game. I thought for sure that if he could see me now, he wouldn't be ashamed of me anymore, that he'd do as he promised."

"Well, he lied. I even made his precious fucking basketball team. I waited by the window so long after that, waiting to see him pull up in our driveway. I figured that now that I'd kept my promise, he'd keep his. Guess who was the liar?"

Arielle watched as Blake's eyes got slightly red. But she knew that it would embarrass him if he saw her watching, so she turned her head away and pretended to examine imaginary pieces of lint on her spotless bikini. A part of her was starting to understand Blake's refusal to leave his home. He was still secretly holding on to the hope that his father would one day come back and would be unable to find Blake.

"What's with all the questions anyway? Blake said, standing up out of the water, his short hair plastering to his forehead.

Goosebumps filled Arielle. Jade's words came flooding back to her. Find out Blake's dirty secrets and then report back to her, Jade had specifically commanded.

Well, Arielle was never going to tell Jade about this. The only thing Jade would do was to hurt Blake even more. And Arielle wasn't going to let that happen. She could imagine Blake as a scrawny boy again with Arielle standing in front of him, shielding him from Jade's evil plans and plots.

"Blake," she said softly, stepping out of the water, and secretly pulling at the back of her bikini bottom. "If you ever need to talk or anything, you can always come to me."

Blake leaned on the outside barbeque grill that was meant for summer parties of serving hundreds, and put his head in his hands, shaking it sorrowfully. "Actually, there is something I would like to talk to you about," Blake's voice was muffled, and it sounded like he was about to cry.

Arielle quickly rose out of the water, and ran over to see if he was okay. She was prepared for him to tell her everything, upon which she would, of course, be considerate and let him put his head in her lap while she told him everything was going to be okay.

"Tell me everything," she said in a soft, soothing voice, while her maternal instincts kicked in. Arielle could never stand to see an innocent truly hurt. Which definitely confused everyone around her as to why she and Jade Lewallen could ever be related.

"You really want to know?" Blake said, lifting his head a little and staring straight ahead, while Arielle felt her pulse quicken. She recognized that look. Jade frequently complained that Arielle was the same way, every single time Arielle started to think about her mother.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone. Promise." Arielle swore.

"Okay. What I want to tell you is," Blake paused, licking his lips and losing that far-off look in his eyes and turning to look at Arielle. "I think you are unbelievably hot and that someone like you should never have to worry about people like your sister."

"What?" Arielle was thrown off guard. What had happened to their fantasy bonding session?

"What I mean is, I think it's time you had a little fun and stopped worrying about Jade's thousands of things you can't do and just start living a little." And with that said, Blake picked Arielle up and dived into the pool, twisting at the last second so that he hit the water first, with her on top of him.

She broke out of the water, throwing her wet hair behind her and gasping for air. "What was that, Blake? Trying to make fun of me when I was being serious?" she asked, playfully slapping him.

" What?" he pretended to sound hurt. "I was being perfectly serious. Or don't you believe me?"

" Hm. I just thought we were going to spend the night having a heart to heart with each other." Arielle said, ducking her head shyly at her stupid assumption. She'd always known that her over-imagination would get her into trouble one day.

"We can still spend the night together in your bedroom, if that's what you're worried about." Blake raised his eyebrows at her, and swam over towards her.

Arielle stiffened and immediately stepped out of the pool angrily. "Stupid son of a bitch." she yelled, not bothering about keeping her voice down. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Tears nearly pooled her eyes. Every single guy was after one thing. Call her prudish, but she couldn't take it anymore. She'd dated her last boyfriend for over three months only to find out, when she was just truly starting to fall for him, that he'd only gone out with her to get some. Ever since then, Arielle had sworn off all guys who'd only wanted her body. And now, apparently, Blake was one of them. And she'd wanted to comfort that bastard.

"Wait, Arielle," Blake jumped out and ran after her as Arielle angrily took off towards the main house.

"What?" she snapped, never breaking her stride. "Shouldn't you be somewhere, finding someone who'll get you laid without asking questions?"

Guess there was some of Jade in her, after all.

"Wait," Blake said, his huge strides catching up to hers.

She whirled around. "No, you wait." Arielle glared at him, and all of a sudden, everything was back to last summer, and Arielle was experiencing another one of her flashbacks.

Trey and her were in his car again outside her house and the sun was beating down, through the glass windows.

She wanted to leave, because she was getting more tired. Trey's pressuring had been coming more often now. It had started off playfully, but now it was plain forceful.

Trey angrily tried to grab her. "Arielle, what the hell's wrong with you? Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

Arielle squirmed, "Trey, stop. I don't want to."

Trey just grabbed tighter, "Who knew you were such a prude? With the way you look and dress, I'd have thought you'd be an easy one."

Arielle gaped as it dawned on her, "What? That's why you've been here this whole time? To have sex so you can go back and brag about it to the soccer team?"

Trey snickered, "No shit. And don't pretend like you're little miss innocent. You wanted it all along too. Just had to make me wait. Well, now, I think we're both done waiting. Let's just get this done so we can both move on."

But I don't want to move on, the then-Arielle wailed inside her head. I truly liked you. But she didn't tell him any of that. Instead, she kneed him in the stomach and settled for the small satisfaction of that, even after she watched him drive away fumingly.

Now, all the emotions of being duped came rushing back, as she stared into Blake's face. "You may think that you can just expect everyone to kneel to you, but you're wrong. If you thought I was going to be one of them, you are sadly mistaken because I wouldn't have you even if you were the last person in the world," Arielle's voice shook from the amount of anger and hurt and deception she felt.

Then, with that, she stomped up the stairs, and slammed her door and locked it. She didn't bother to look back, because she knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to control herself any longer before she broke down and lost it completely.

Author's Note: Please Read and Review!!!

Thank you to chocolate is gawd and Lucy N. I've been so swamped lately, I haven't had a chance to reply to your review, so thank you both for reading and reviewing and for everyone else that also read and reviewed. You comments are great motivation, and I love hearing from everyone. Also, I know that this was a slow chapter, and I'm working on it. I promise something big is happening soon. But for that to happen, I need to set up back story first. Anyways, thanks so much for taking time to read my story. And please, please, please review!!!! Thanks. 3


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Now that it's summer, I can dedicate more time to this story. I have the rest of it all planned out, and I'm really hoping to get it done before summer ends. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it's been great motivation when I felt like ditching this story. Please read and review!!! I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. **

**Dedication: This chapter was originally going to have no Blake whatsoever, but since chocolate is gawd was so nice and liked the character so much, I incorporated him anyways. Now, enjoy. ******

Who Needs Date Rape Drugs Anyways when you've got a Stalker?

Incredible.

That was Chase's first thought as she stared across the table and into the caramel colored eyes of Ryder Ferreira. In the backdrop of the wood-paneled room that had been modeled with a pre-colonial theme, the fire that was playing against Ryder's face made the tiny flecks in his eyes stand out.

Chase felt the wooden table underneath her palm and slowly traced the ingrained spirals with the tip of her finger. Ryder had approached her a half hour ago and had asked if she'd wanted to leave, maybe find some place where they could talk and eat?

And since she'd been anxious to get away from the throngs of half-naked girls and drunken boys, she'd quickly agreed. Now, it had occurred to her that this might not have been the wisest choice. She was now dining with a stranger boy, who could probably abandon her if he'd wanted to, since she was stuck with only the name of the restaurant, Dan's Fishsticks Diner, no car, no cell phone, and absolutely no idea how to get back.

Chase van Buren berated herself for being so stupid. So, incredibly stupid.

Back home, Blake was thinking of something similar. _I am incredibly fucked_, he thought, pacing the length of his room unrelentingly. _What the hell was I thinking? _

_You weren't_, a tiny voice said nastily in the back of Blake's head. _You just wanted to feel less awkward after telling her all that. Why'd you go around blabbing anyway? _

"I swear, I am on something. It's not my fault," Blake muttered, running a hand roughly through his still-wet and chlorine infiltrated hair. There was no way he had been rational tonight. He must have been under the influence of something.

Maybe so, but talking to yourself is never a good sign.

Now, how was he supposed to fix the problem? He hoped Arielle wasn't waiting to receive apologies in the form of roses and chocolates galore. It would seem kind of pointless; her dad would be paying for them anyway, so Blake dropped the idea.

Blake racked his head for the things that would make him seem sincere. What else did girls get all excited and happy over anyway? He knew from experience that the three words, "I love you" worked like magic when you needed a girl to give you head, but he doubted that was what Arielle wanted.

He could always serenade her under her window, write a letter of apology, or--Blake's favorite--ignore it and pretend like nothing happened.

He sighed. Maybe he'd just give her the traditional "I'm sorry" and see if that didn't do the trick

What ever happened to Blake's colorful and vivid imagination now?

He gently rapped on her door.

Arielle, cautiously opened it just a sliver of an inch, just to see if it was someone other than Blake.

'Hey, look I'm—" Blake tried to grab the door and opened it.

"Go away," she slammed the door. Or at least she tried to, but all Blake heard was the loud crack as Arielle slammed too hard between his fingers and the door frame.

"Fuck!" he yelled, examining his poor fingers It hurt like hell, but at least it wasn't broken. He steeled himself against the unbearable pain. He held his poor middle and ring finger gingerly. "You broke my fingers!" he yelled at the closed door, slamming it with his left fist, knowing that Arielle would eventually open the door from curiosity. "You could at least have the decency to see if I'm okay," he muttered, fully intending on playing the pity plan against Arielle.

When the door didn't open, Blake sighed. "Arielle, look, I'm sorry. But could you at least help me out here?" He paused to see if that would elicit any response from her. It didn't. "Please." He put on his best pity voice, knowing that if he sounded like he was in enough pain, Arielle's soft heart would finally find it to help him out.

She cracked open the door a little, and stuck her head out suspiciously. Seeing this, Blake stuck his red fingers in front of her face and opened up the door to enlarge the gap within them. He stepped inside her room

When she saw that this was all just a ploy, she hit him on the chest. Hard. "Dirty, son of a bitch," she cried, clawing at him viciously.

Hell. It kind of hurt. But Blake just let her do it. Better get it all off her chest before he said anything.

"Arielle," he interrupted, grabbing her angry fists, "I did come here to say I'm sorry, you know. The least you could do is make it easier for me."

She yanked her fists back furiously, but didn't resume hitting Blake, opting instead, to glare at him behind her ice-blue eyes.

"Well, you came and said it. Now, you may feel free to go rub your perverted-ness in some other girls' face."

"Goodness, Arielle. I'm a seventeen year old male. I have needs. But I would never try to force you to do anything." Blake sighed, looking down at his hands, and playing his final card. "I just want a friend, Arielle. I'm lonely. And I just want to be able to talk to someone. I didn't mean to upset you." Blake screwed his face up in an attempt to pass himself off with the look of an innocent and lost five-year-old who didn't understand just how badly he'd screwed up.

"Yeah, but you could have tons of friends. You don't need me," Arielle shook her head. Blake noted with satisfaction that she was caving. At the very least, she was no longer trying to hurt him.

"I don't want those people as friends. They make me sick," Blake scoffed, momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be playing the part of a reformed sinner.

"This really isn't going to be easy, this friends business." Arielle murmured, sliding her ring up and down her left index finger. No doubt she was thinking about her bitch of a sister, who was apparently some kind of control freak.

"Friends, not sex buddies. You think Jade could handle that?" Blake snapped. He pushed his hair up. Crap, that's not how it's supposed to go. He carefully reigned in his temper. "Just friends," he said again in a calm voice, offering his hand. There was no need for him to turn the whole entire Lewallen family against him just yet.

"Okay. Friends." Arielle said, shaking his hand firmly, feeling slightly nervous. But then again, anything that concerned Jade made her nervous.

Somewhere in Beverly Hills, Chase was also feeling more and more nervous by the minute. The diner was slowly emptying, and Ryder showed no sign that he was about to leave anytime soon.

She really had tried to pay attention to what he was talking about. Something to do with soccer or whatnot. But it was hard, considering that she was still stuck in the middle of nowhere. In actuality, Ryder was totally innocent. After all, his golden looks and friendly enough personality left little evil to be imagined. But, growing up on the streets, you could never be too careful.

"Ryder?" she said softly, when he launched into another great soccer save.

"Yes?" he arched his brow in a polite way.

"I just remembered. I have some last minute homework to do at home. Would you mind dropping me off?" she said, hoping that she hadn't offended him too greatly by bruising his seemingly over-swelled ego. She twirled her ring around her finger nervously.

"Oh. Yeah. No problem," Ryder stood up with an almost disappointed look on his face. "We should definitely do this again some other time though."

"Yeah. Definitely." Chase said vaguely and fidgeted nervously as she saw the diner owner—Dan?—eye them with a shifty look in his eye. Why would Ryder choose this place anyway, when there were so much more publicly populated restaurants on the way?

She pondered Ryder's intentions on the way back to the car. Not that she was ugly or anything, but she was no beauty and she knew it. There was nothing sexy about her, unless you counted her chest.

What Chase knew she didn't have physically, she tried to make up for it in personality. Seeing Ryder Ferreira, the womanizing, Californian, surfer-toned, soccer-loving jock with the sexy British accent and smile, take an interest in her, it was hard not to feel unsettled. After all, Chase had been raised at school to believe that there was only one thing teenage males like Ryder wanted, and it certainly had nothing to do with personality.

"So, want to hang out again maybe Thursday after school?" Ryder asked, giving Chase a look to the right of his eye, then quickly moving his gaze back onto the road, as he flawlessly steered his Bentley down the winding road.

"I think I might need to help with the reception stuff. Get it all in order. My mom's freaking out. But if I don't, I'll definitely call you," she said vaguely, while leaning her head against her palm and watching a lone black Mercedes behind them on the road in the side mirror.

Ryder nodded, whipping out his cell phone with his left hand. Chase glanced curiously for a second, if only to see who he was texting.

Jade Lewallen.

Chase quickly turned her head again before he could accuse her of nosing in his business, and focused her attention on the road, trying to memorize road names in case Ryder had any intention of abandoning her on the side of a road. She absent-mindedly twisted the loose ring around her finger, frowning at the thought.

"Ah, Chase?" Ryder said, when they paused at an intersection with the streetlight casting an eerie glow in front of them. "Would you mind it if I stopped at the nearest pharmacy? There's something I have to pick up there."

Chase looked up sharply, her eyes glinting in the darkness of the car. A part of her immediately armed up the defenses. But seeing as she was here on Eucalyptus Lane with Ryder's car as the only means for transportation, she wasn't exactly at a liberty to be pushy about her choices. "Sure." She shrugged nonchalantly, but on the inside, she slowly looked around the car to see if she could spot anything she could use to her advantage. A sharp object was always good, as Blake had always told her. Also, anything heavy or cloth-like.

Her eyes had landed on Ryder's jacket and his soccer uniform when Ryder abruptly pulled into an empty lot, with the pharmacy's sign lighting against the backdrop of the night like a beacon.

"Stay here. I won't be long." Ryder said, slamming his car door and winding his fingers around the car keys, and opening the car windows so that Chase would be able to get some fresh air.

Chase stared out of the car window, absent-mindedly scratching the back of the hand that she'd thrown carelessly over the window's sharp edge and letting the damn ring accidentally shift off her hand.

"Oh shit," Chase said in dismay, as she opened the car door and crouched down on the ground to gently examine the ring. Her fingers bruised over the shiny surface, fervently praying that there would be no scratches and carefully triple checking it to make sure.

Then, she felt it.

It was as if something had suddenly gone very wrong, the kind of feeling you get when you know someone's staring at you pointedly across a noisy cafeteria. The feeling of being watched. Out of the corner of her eye, Chase saw baggy black pants.

"Shit," she cursed again under her breath, scrambling to get up and to turn around to face this newfound enemy. Half of her heart hoped that it would be Ryder, coming around to see why Chase would be crouching on the blacktop ground. The other half of her told her to shut up and to stop being so stupid.

Her adversary pushed Chase down before she could run or scream, fingers burying into Chase's pretty red locks. Then, before Chase could even bother to scream, she felt the person tie something foul around her mouth. Then, she felt her hands being snapped backwards and lashed together with rope while a piece of cloth tied itself around her eyes. The irony that she'd been the one thinking about using Ryder's jacket to do the same to him should he have thoughts about hurting her, failed to take any of the edge off.

Chase stumbled blindly as she was yanked to her feet rudely, and prodded in the general direction her captor wanted her to take, and then needlessly shoved into the backseat of a car.

She heard the person get up into the front seat and slam the brakes into reverse and tear out of the parking lot as Chase nearly feel off the backseat. Chase felt her fear increase. Even if the person's not-so-noble intentions didn't kill her, not having a seat belt while in the backseat of this maniac certainly would, Chase reflected as she felt the car hit a bump in the road that was not at all helped by the speed of the car.

_Think, Chase, think_, her mind urged as Chase lay helplessly, a sob threatening to escape her throat. She was seventeen, for goodness sake. She hadn't even done any of the great things she'd always dreamed about. Go to college and grad school, do something in theatre, really fall in love, have kids.

I'm going to die with an un-fulfilled life, she thought dully to herself, as she became aware of the numbing pain that was most definitely from the lack of blood circulation in her hands.

Chase's head bumped up and then dipped back down sharply as the driver made a screeching turn. Then, mercifully, the car came to a stop, and she felt her captor yanking her out and throwing her onto hard ground. It felt suspiciously like blacktop, and Chase realized with a new wave of panic that she was in the middle of the road. Not only that, but she had no idea how to get off before some drunk driver came mowing her down.

She tried to keep calm and to use her head to devise an escape plan. Her best option was to just feel around with her hands and hoped that it led to the side road sometime soon. Beside her ear, she heard a small flipping sound.

Then, before she could even bother to wonder what it was, she felt the person reach behind her and press the tip of the blade sharply into her skin, drawing blood.

"Consider yourself warned," a voice growled into her ear cruelly, swiping a finger across Chase's fresh wound. She felt the hem of her shirt being lifted and the person slashed a line vertically down the length of her stomach. "I won't be so kind when I come to paint warning number two next time."

Then, her skull slammed into the ground, and she heard the distinctive noise of the person gunning the car away.

She didn't know how long her mind was in shock. Then, her self-preservation skills kicked in and she quickly focused on getting up, ignoring the throbbing pain in the back of her head.

If this was warning number one, she didn't want to find out what warning number two was.

She stumbled along slowly, trying to find where the road ended. Her toe kicked on something that wasn't blacktop, and she collapsed onto the bristly ground.

Now, for the hands. Chase rotated the ropes that bound her hands together, and smiled when she felt them start to loosen with the movement. Whoever had tied her hands clearly wasn't very good at making sure they stayed on.

Once those were off, she quickly ripped off the piece of cloth in her mouth and over her eyes. She quickly gasped out in gratitude when she felt the cool Californian air hit the insides of her mouth.

"Thank God," she nearly sobbed, at finding that she was still in one piece, albeit a little hurt. Chase's fingers brushed across the dried blood on her palm and quickly pulled up the front of her shirt to look at the gruesome one that her attacker had oh-so-kindly drew there as a reminder.

She quickly pulled her shirt back down and wearily glanced around. She was far from escaping. Chase had no idea where in the world she was supposed to be, and she felt a lump in her throat. Even though she was scared, she guessed she ought to be thankful that she'd grown up in a place where she'd had to find her own way around often enough. God forbid if any of these Beverly Hills princesses were stuck in her position.

Noting a small light in the distance, Chase wobbled down the path, and started to make her way back home.

Back at the Lewallen Estates, Blake was fuming angrily.

"So, being the cold bitch that you are," he gave a pointed glare at Jade, leaving no question as to which bitch he was talking about, "you left my poor, innocent sister out there, in a new town, on her first day here."

"Please, I'm sure she's fine. She sure didn't look like she was in trouble the last I saw her," Jade flipped her hair condescendingly at Blake.

"If she's fine, then why the hell is everyone else in your so called social circle back home while my sister remains missing?" he glared again, advancing forward threateningly.

"Get over yourself already," Jade shouted. "Maybe she decided to go home with Ryder. I'm sure she doesn't need your permission for everything."

A deadly look came over Blake's face. So his baby sister was out there with some guy, getting raped. And all Jade Lewallen was doing was standing there, in her ridiculously slutty outfit, telling him to get over himself. Well, he was going to show that bitch just how wrong she was.

"You," he said in a enunciated, quiet voice, so that there would be no mistake, "are going to call this Ryder and you are going to tell him to bring my sister back here in five minutes, and you are going to do this now."

"There is no way I am going to let trash like you order me around. No one—and I mean _no one_—fucks with Jade Lewallen." She said, so angry that red splotches were appearing on the apples of her cheeks.

"Well, princess," Blake snarled, his hand darting forward to grasp the front of her shirt cruelly, "consider me the first, because tonight, I have a feeling that you are about to learn that the world doesn't involve around Jade fucking Lewallen."

"And I have a feeling that tonight, you are going to find out that just how merciless I can be to people like you," Jade spat, wrenching herself away from his grasp. She gently smoothed the top of her shirt.

He advanced at her slowly, the fury obvious in his eyes, and grabbed her hair viciously, and nearly took her head off while directing her gaze towards the glass-pane windows in the foyer. "See that nice, beautiful car out there, Gorgeous? Be careful where you're treading, or it might just not look so nice tomorrow morning. And if you truly make me run out of my patience in the next thirty seconds, we'll see just how well you can make those threats without that pretty face of yours."

Blake swished his trademark blade next to her ear. "That cow forgot to confiscate this, unluckily for you. Convenient, isn't it? I've used it before, but never on a girl. So, unless you want to be the first, I suggest you pick up your phone and make that call now."

Not willing nor stupid enough to test Blake's thin patience, Jade slowly withdrew her cell phone from her pocket, a look of pure loathing etched on her face, and speed-dialed her friend. She wished she could telepathetically tell Ryder not to pick up, if only to spite Blake the more.

"Oh, and if you even think about screaming right now, or telling anyone else about this, I will make you regret it." Blake hissed in her ear, pressing the flat side of his blade against the side of her face a little harder, to demonstrate exactly how serious he was.

He had never truly used it to harm another person, but right now, he felt like if the little bitch pushed him any further, he just might.

Men. So insensitive and crude sometimes.

Therefore, it was with Ryder's voice ringing over the telephone lines that the first battle victory between Jade and Blake had been cast, with many promises of vengeance to come.

**Please read and review! **


	12. Chapter 12

With Great Pressure Comes Great Responsibility

Ryder had a nasty feeling about this. It had settled somewhere deep in his stomach and had been growing at an alarming rate ever since he'd received Jade's phone call. And much as he hated having to leave his house at ten thirty at night, a small sense of responsibility forced to get dressed and climb out of the house and into his car.

"Damn this," Ryder breathed a growl, backing out of the driveway, away from the sprawling acres of the Ferreira Estate and turning the car down the road.

Ryder wasn't stupid enough not to mention the incredible irony of his current situation. He wasn't supposed to go chasing after women. They were supposed to come after him.

If only he didn't feel so bloody guilty. Of course, when Chase had texted him, he'd been a little more than happy to just accept her text without questioning things through. After all, tonight he'd felt almost humiliated. Here he was, trying to seduce a girl with his unfailing charms, and all she'd wanted to do was go home and finish her bloody homework.

Ryder never thought he'd see the day when his companionship would lose to something as stupid as school. It was beyond a damn crying embarrassment. And now, look where he was. Unable to enjoy the comforts of his bedroom and on a mission to find out what happened to a girl who was apparently as interested in him as she was in dirt.

And the worst part was he needed her in order to get what he wanted from Jade. This whole thing was turning out worse and worse to be a bloody humiliation.

He'd never live it down if word got out.

Therefore, it was with a heavy heart that he walked inside and found Jade in the foyer.

"Jade, what is going on?" he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes. "What's the problem?"

"Where is my sister?" a male stalked forward, and Ryder recognized him immediately as Chase's older brother.

Ryder eyed the guy that he'd heard so much about in school today. None of it had created a warm, fuzzy impression. Blake van Buren had been, apparently, some kind of nightmare to his teachers and leader of all wrongdoings. His legacy was almost infamous, and he'd been known for his wicked ways with women and weapons.

Not to mention, he was currently moving forward towards Ryder.

Holy shit.

"Where is my sister," Blake repeated again, glowering menacingly.

"I don't know," Ryder shrugged, "I took her out to get something to eat. Afterwards, she said she was leaving with someone else, and that was the last I saw of her."

"Well, there we go. The problem seems to have resolved itself nicely." Jade spoke up from where she was and snarled at Blake, snidely turning her nose in the air. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have more pressing matters to attend to."

Blake sneered, "Princess, you're not going anywhere until we find my sister. As for you," he pointed to Ryder, "I already don't like you as it is. I suggest that you tell me everything you know before I force it out of you."

Ryder was taken back. What was with these van Burens hating him? "Take a fucking pill. I didn't do anything to her. And for future reference, if you really wanted to get people to talk, I suggest you try and be civil."

Blake seemed to stop for a slip second before he plastered a faux-pleasant expression on his face. "I can be civil. I can be very civil." He walked forward even more, casually flipping his blade up. "So tell me now, Ryder, where is my sister?" Blake asked in a dangerously pleasant voice that was scarier than when he was yelling. "Oh, and I would advise that you hurry up and answer. Being _civil_ takes up a lot of my energy, and I only have so much to spare at the moment."

"Dude, all I know was that I was picking up some stuff at the local drugstore, and I got a text saying that she saw a friend and was leaving with her. By the time I got outside, she was gone, so I left. I really don't have any bloody idea about what happened to her." Ryder withdrew his cell phone, quickly drawing up Chase's text message up to the screen and shoving it in her brother's face. "I can even prove it."

Blake snatched the cell phone up and narrowed his eyes at it, not willing to admit that Ryder was being exonerated as chances of finding his sister started to get slimmer and slimmer. "Why is the number blocked?" Blake demanded, shaking the cell phone in his left hand adamantly, his face a half-crazed look.

"I really don't know," Ryder said in a frustrated tone. "What makes you think I have a bloody clue? Maybe she was using her friend's cell phone. Maybe she used a pay phone. I repeat. I. Don't. Know."

"Very well, I believe you." Blake tossed Ryder's cell phone back to him carelessly. He thrust his palm open in front of Jade. "Car keys. For the red one."

"What?" Jade nearly gasped through her indifferent exterior, while subtly tightening her hold on her designer purse.

"Come on now, Jade, I know you're not stupid, and I know you're memory's working just fine, so you'll excuse me if I don't go over our earlier conversation." Blake drawled, wiggling his middle and ring finger impatiently.

Jade reached inside her purse, and slammed the key into Blake's palm, making sure to dig the shiny tip into his palm as hard as she could.

"Lovely." Blake closed his palm around the keys, the BMW symbol standing out clearly in a mass of metal. "Now, I would appreciate it if both of you left my line of sight before I do something—" here, he shot Ryder a nasty look, "not so civil."

"Like hell you are," Jade snarled, moving forward. "Who knows what barbaric things you would do to my car. Me and Ryder are coming with you. And it's certainly isn't to look for your damn sister, either." She glowered at that last part, as if that would hurt Blake. If anything, he shrugged it off.

"Suit yourself, princess. All the better when I decide to crash your precious car into the nearest tree." Blake sneered again.

Ryder couldn't help but think that it was a sad day indeed to have met someone who could best Jade at her own game.

That, and the fact that Ryder was now sitting in the backseat of Jade Lewallen's car fifteen minutes later, giving directions to the snarling driver, who was now ready to make good on his threat of sending Jade's precious car into the nearest streetlamp.

"So, she was right here. And then she was gone." Blake said, car in the now deserted parking lot, smoking a cigarette in frustration.

"Yeah. All I did was pop in for five seconds and she disappeared." Ryder huffed angrily at having to repeat this for what must've been the fiftieth fucking time this evening.

Blake slowly eased his car out of the parking lot, his hand grappling down on the wheel. "God damn it," he hissed, flicking his cigarette so that the ashes spilled onto the pristine, black seat.

Jade looked like she was ready for murder. "Don't smoke that thing in here. This car's worth more than you could ever make in your life," she said in between clenched teeth.

He purposely blew a puff of smoke in her face, "Well, then, do something useful. Aren't you the one parading around, claiming that the Lewallen name was so fucking holy? Well, now's your chance to prove what you're worth."

She opened her mouth to retort, but was saved by her vibrating cell phone. Jade checked the caller I.D., before rolling her eyes and flipping her phone to her ear. "Yes, Dad?"

"Jade, what the hell is this?" Ryder heard the loud, obnoxious voice of Mr. Lewallen yell into the thin atmosphere of the car. "I thought I told you to take care of Chase."

"She got lost by herself. I had nothing to do with it," Jade said, swearing up and down like an innocent little girl while smirking at the infuriated Blake.

"Yeah, I figured when she called home, asking to be picked up." Mark Lewallen growled.

"How unfortunate," Jade muttered more to herself than to the other three people in her hearing vicinity. "Listen, Dad. I'll just pick her up. No need for you to make another trip."

" You'd better. I'm very disappointed in you Jade Lewallen. You clearly disobeyed me. She's on 5526 Briarwood Lane. I expect the two of you to be back within the hour, and mark my words when I say that I am not very pleased with you," Mark growled before disconnecting the phone with an abrupt "click"

"There you go," Jade tossed her phone back into her bag, "5526 Briarwood Lane. There's my last name for you, van Buren." She sneered at his last name in an effort to remind him just exactly who he was and where his station stood.

"You're lucky that I'm in a good mood right now," Blake said as he keyed the destination into the car's GPS and took off. "Or else I'd show everyone just how flimsy the name Lewallen can be."

"What are you going to do? Knife me? Even you're not that stupid. Or are you? With those filthy gangs, I suppose you never know." Jade gave Blake the evil eye.

Before Blake could fire off an appropriate response, a dark house loomed up next to the road and a cool, female voice interrupted him. "You have arrived at your destination."

Conversation forgotten, Blake winded up the long driveway and slammed the brakes down. "Get out. Both of you." He said, pocketing the key. He obviously didn't trust the other two to not drive away with the care while he was otherwise occupied.

Jade and Ryder both exited, looking at 5526 Briarwood Lane. Ryder studied the gothic style house. He took note of the brick arches above the doorway and the cathedral-esque windows, letting his eyes trail to a thin spire rising against the rest of the house. This was obviously an older neighborhood, and there was a sort of majestic, but gloomy air to the house.

He watched Blake ignore the architecture in favor of banging on the front door. That was one person he definitely did not need to deal with. No matter what Jade said.

"Jade, I really don't think your plan to break Chase van Buren is going to work." Ryder murmured, keeping an eye on Blake's intimidating back.

"It has to." Jade hissed back, slowly climbing the stairs at a leisurely pace. "I thought you were the man-whore of Beverly Champion High. If anybody can do it, you can."

" Have you seen him?" Ryder said harshly, jutting a thumb fiercely in Blake's direction. "He'll beat me if I even get near her. And as for breaking up with her and taking her virginity, I'm as good as dead with that knife of his."

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when the great womanizer Ryder Ferriera bows down in defeat to a gang member-wannabe." Jade said, baring her teeth viciously. Ryder would've been disconcerted, if he hadn't finally realized that on this equation, Jade's was the losing side.

"I wouldn't be too quick to call him that." Ryder muttered, taking the blow against his masculinity in surprisingly good grace. "That guy's not a wannabe, he's practically a fucking genius."

Jade's eyes brimmed with anger at hearing that. "I can't believe that you of all people would think that. Just because he can scare you by waving a knife around, doesn't make him any sort of _genius_. In fact, I've heard that he's rather stupid." Jade said bitingly.

"Well, his methods are obviously working. He's obviously got the great Jade Lewallen to bow down from her almighty throne," Ryder said nastily to Jade. A first time record for him. But then, a lot of records were being broken tonight.

Obviously, dictatorship is effective only as long as the public doesn't rebel.

Jade bristled angrily, but when she spoke, her voice was calm. "Don't you ever say that to me again, or I'll make sure you regret it more than what Blake van Buren could ever do to you."

"Well, I have a feeling that you starting to lose your edge to Blake van Buren." Ryder said with finality, jaws set and eyes tense. He vaguely wondered why he was even questioning Jade when she was the one that was supposed to be his friend.

_Ah, but she's not. She doesn't need friends. She only needs allies_, a voice said in the back of his head.

And Ryder silently acknowledged that. It was true that Jade didn't need much of anything, except people to execute out her plans. And this time, it was Ryder's turn to pay the price of being in the school's most exclusive group.

Well, he was sick of her shit. The last time she'd involved him, he'd had to sabotage the car of some small-town model. It still made him feel guilty sometimes, and he could only hope that nothing truly bad had happened.

And now this time, she was going to make him go through the same torture again. Date Chase. Pretend to be interested. Have sex with her. Dump her. It was so easy for Jade to order him around like that, so easy for her to just expect all of them to bow down to her.

And because of that, there was a small, hidden part inside of him that hated her for that.

"Don't forget, Ryder, what I know about your dear, little Kate. It is, after all, what you agreed to in the first place. Or have you already forgotten our agreement?" Jade snickered delightfully, finding that her place had been regained in the conversation. Now, Ryder was the one looking away.

He hated her even more for that.

"I want to know what you know, and then I'll help you." Ryder said through gritted teeth. He hated giving into Jade's whim. But, there was a part of him that knew he couldn't give up any chances of news about Kate, even if it meant laying himself down and catering to Jade's every whim.

"Of course." Jade flipped her hair back triumphantly. "Meet me in the outside cabana, and I promise to tell you what you've been searching for."

Ryder felt a flame inside of him grow slowly. It would be worth it. He would have to compensate and put his life on the line, but it would all be worth it.

"Deal," Ryder said quietly, as he noticed that Blake had been successful, and was now pulling a tired-looking Chase in his wake.

"I promise you, Chase, when I find that fucking bastard, I am going to make sure he burns in hell," Blake said, storming by Jade and Ryder, blatantly ignoring them.

"It's fine. I'm sure it was just a mistake," Chase said, trying to reassure Blake. But, Ryder could tell by the look in her eyes that even she didn't believe that. There was a bit of a haunted look, as if she couldn't believe what had happened to her.

"Chase, what happened?" Ryder said in a concerned voice, as he sat next to her on the car ride back to the Lewallen grounds.

"Yeah," Jade said, swiveling around. "One minute you're there, and the next, you're gone." Jade ran her fingers through her thin hair, and smiled charmingly at Chase.

"Someone attacked her, kidnapped her, then left her on the road to die." Blake said, angry expression on his face. "So, given what she's gone through, I'm sure she would appreciate it if you guys stopped questioning her."

"How awful," Jade said, placing a smooth hand over her pouty mouth.

"Yeah." Ryder mused, noticing the way that Jade was being so fake. It almost made him wonder if she had something to hide…

_No. She couldn't have done it_, Ryder decided and shook his head to himself. After all, even she wasn't that evil.

Blake parked the car back into its rightful place at Jade's house, and Ryder felt a rise of excitement again.

After tonight, he would never again have to abuse himself with all the mental "what if"s. Never have to stay awake at night and wonder what was happening outside the Beverly Hills bubble.

"Come on," Ryder said in the dark, as his hand grasped Jade's arm and he pulled her towards the outside cabana. Thank goodness Blake was way too preoccupied with his sister's welfare that he didn't bother to look back to see what the other two were doing.

"I only have so much time," Jade said, as she let herself be pulled along, "My father is probably going to give me one of his shit fits over that little annoying bitch."

"Speaking of that," Ryder glanced briefly at her, "Did you have anything to do with what happened to Chase tonight?"

"Look," Jade said almost rudely, "do you or do you not want to find out about your precious girlfriend?"

Ryder didn't answer, pulling her into the cabana, "Of course," he said, taking a seat on the bed. Chase was fine for tonight, and he promised to look into it a little deeper tomorrow, once he had the information he needed. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Well, I think we both know what happened at the end of your freshmen year," Jade said, raking a hand through her hair in slight agitation.

"Yes," Ryder answered, even though there was a part of him inside that was angry that Jade Lewallen would know about his secret. Back then, he remembered that she had hated him. So, why in the world would she know about this?

"Here, why don't you tell me what happened first," Jade said, her gaze piercing into the side of Ryder's profile. Ryder felt the intensity of her look, felt the power to know everything behind it.

"Nothing happened," he heard himself snapping in irritation, his annoyance building momentum. Still, a part of him felt compelled to tell the truth. After all, she had promised to tell him everything. "We dated for a while. Her parents found out that she was pregnant, and took her away. I haven't seen her since."

There was a small pause. Then, "Hmm, figures." Jade said quietly next to him.

"It wasn't a big deal," Ryder said, but he knew it wasn't true. They'd been each other's first, and when she'd broken up with him in the letter she'd left behind, it had nearly broken his own heart. Instead, he was forced to play it off as no big deal and continue on with his life as if nothing had happened.

"Obviously not, because you're sitting here." Jade said shortly, straightening the front of her clothes. "Don't try to deny it or whatever. Frankly, I don't care. I know what I want. You know what you want. I think we can help each other out."

"So, where is she?" Ryder asked, forcing his voice to stay calm. It was hard. After making hundreds of phone calls and hours of investigation, the girl who had the answer was right in front of him.

"Don't you even want to know if there's a Ryder Ferreira replica floating somewhere out there?" Jade asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"That too," he muttered, purposely training his eyes away from her amused ones. She probably thought it was hilarious, watching him struggle like that. It was just so Jade to keep drawing his pain out as much as she could. "Can you please just tell me?"

"Well, for your information, there is no mini-you running around. It was aborted a long time ago." Jade informed Ryder. "And as for Kate herself, I have a feeling she's going to spend the rest of her life in that mental institution her parents have got her locked her in."

"She's in a _mental institution_?" Ryder jumped up furiously, his head spinning furiously. "Why the hell would they put her in there?"

"You seem to care a lot for someone who says he doesn't," Jade says with an amused glance.

"Jade, don't play your mind games with me right now," Ryder growled, pacing back and forth. In his mind, he saw the pretty, dirty blonde hair of Kate and her emerald eyes. Locked away in some kind of place for freaks with mental problems.

"You kind of have to understand that after she tried to escape four times, her parents would be concerned." Jade said with a shrug. As if she was talking about school, and not the biggest crisis of Ryder's life.

"No one gets put into mental facilities for small things like that," Ryder hissed, now seeing some form of prison shackles around Kate's delicate wrists. How could her parents do that to her?

"Well, she did also try to kill herself by overdosing multiple times, not to mention the fact that she set the science lab at her private school on fire in an attempt to escape." Jade said, reeling off the precious information she'd been accumulating ever since she'd accidentally stumbled upon Kate's letter to Ryder.

"She doesn't deserve this. Mental institution," he snorted contemptuously. If anyone at school could've seen him now, they wouldn't have been able to recognize him. The normally happy Ryder was now so close to blowing someone's head off.

"Yeah, well, don't ask me what her parents were thinking. All I know is that it's very exclusive, so you wouldn't be able to get in there unless you made an appointment there. And then even for that, you have know the right people and come from the right place," Jade said, watching Ryder carefully out of the corner of her eyes. She seemed to be waiting for Ryder to say something.

"So, where exactly is this place?" Ryder said, nearly pawing at the ground in frustration. He would get her out of there as fast as he could. Ryder whipped out his cell phone, ready to make plans to rescue Kate.

Jade smiled victoriously. "Ah, that's where the glitch comes in. I can't trust you not to walk out on your job. You'll get not only a name, but also an appointment when you've completed your part of the deal to my satisfaction." Jade said, and stood up quickly. Ryder watched as she walked away from him and back into her house, giving him no time to complain or act on his murderous rages.

Ryder stared at Jade, jaw clenching furiously. If he had to steal, cheat, or kidnap, he'd do whatever was needed to make Kate come back. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he failed.

Carefully reigning in his temper, Ryder walked back to his car, driving the rest of the way back in silence. Tomorrow, he would start his mission with a brand new determination. He would show Chase just how desirable he could be. She wouldn't even know what hit her. And by the time he had what he wanted, there would be nothing that she could do about it anymore; it'd be too late.

**Author's Note**: Please Read and Review!!!!!!! I welcome any criticism and feedback. Please let me know how I'm doing. Thanks!!!!


	13. Chapter 13

Sledgehammers are Terribly Handy to Have Around

The continuous blast of cold air did absolutely nothing to help Jade's oncoming headache. She massaged her temples with the tips of her middle and ring fingers. Jade cursed herself. Why didn't she think of bringing Advil or Tylenol? And why the hell was the room always this cold?

Jade pulled her tiny cashmere shrug over her shoulders tightly, trying to ignore the pointed looks that Winter was sending her way. When she finally couldn't take it anymore, she snapped her head to her right and raised her eyebrow at her best friend, managing to convey her massive annoyance in that one little gesture. The fact that Winter looked refreshingly pristine and cheerful did nothing to help lift Jade's angry mood.

"What's wrong" Winter mouthed to Jade, not knowing how wrong the simple question was.

If Jade had been able to speak during Mr. Delahaney's incredibly boring lecture on the Great Depression, it would've been to snap a short, brusque answer at Winter that she was _fine_, that _nothing_ was wrong except for the fact that she couldn't even have her four seconds of peace without having people think she was sick and dying. Jade would've snapped all this and more at Winter Beaumont if she could've. However, since she was currently indisposed to do such a thing, Jade just angrily swiveled her head back onto the powerpoint.

_Yeah, nothing was wrong_, Jade thought bitterly in her mind. Except that she'd gotten blamed for the Chase thing and had stayed up all night, listening to her stupid father lecture on responsibility and family and all that bullshit. The absolute worst thing was that she didn't even do it. In fact, she didn't even know of anyone else who could possibly hate Chase so much.

_Well, the world's full of surprises_, Jade thought, momentarily cheered up by the fact that she had an un-named ally. And it would seem as if this ally was even more ruthless than Jade. After all, Jade Lewallen wouldn't have sunk so low for the first try. It almost made Jade respect this unknown person the slightest bit.

Jade frowned. That is, until Jade herself got the brunt of the blame. It didn't seem fair that she should have to be responsible while this person got away scot-free.

She scowled at that thought. While she did respect this unknown person, another side of her also didn't appreciate being upped by some unknown nonentity.

Jade acknowledged this competitive side with relish. After all, she certainly hadn't become the school's allegedly most prized student without stepping over some of the ignorant masses.

Because if there was one thing about Jade, it was that she hated losing.

Jade sighed. Despite the urgent need to throttle Chase by the tips of her red hair, she did feel the tiniest bit of remorse. Between Jade, Ryder, and this new person, Chase van Buren wouldn't even stand a chance.

"He's so hot," Jade heard the girl in to her left breathe wistfully. Jade looked over to see who was sitting next to her and scoffed. Of course it would be Donna Forego, the bimbo who thought every male specimen on the planet was hot.

"I know. Tell me about it," Donna's friend giggled and Jade frowned, slightly lifting her eyes to see who the second participant was. Now Piper Mesmer too? Well, well, well. Jade obviously had nothing better to do. She might as well find out what the two brainless idiots were obsessing about.

Allowing her predatory eyes to follow their direction, Jade found herself staring at none other than that infiltrating street rat Blake van Buren. She laughed to herself. There was no way Blake van Buren was hot. He was dirty, filthy scum, not fit to wipe dog shit off the bottom of her shoes. Even Donna Forego probably had better taste than that. Just to be sure, though, she nudged her neighbor in the shoulder.

"Who is so hot?" Jade asked, trying to keep neutral. In a moment, Donna would tell her that it was nobody other than Trey Cooper, Arielle's ridiculously hot ex-boyfriend. Jade had never really understood why Arielle had dumped him. Something about compromising her virtue or other ridiculous nonsense.

"Why, Blake van Buren, of course," Donna said in a shocked voice, as if she couldn't understand in that tiny of brain of hers why Jade even needed to ask.

Jade shook her head in disgust. Sometimes, she wished that she could be wrong. This was one of those times.

"And that air about him, it's just so fascinating." Piper piped up from her seat, obviously wishing to join the conversation. Jade snickered to herself. The only fascinating thing around here was that Piper's vocabulary actually extended further than five-letter words.

"That air about him makes me want to hurl." Jade said flatly, once she remembered who Piper and Donna were talking about. She briefly wondered what in the world had possessed the two. But then again, it wouldn't take much of anything to do that either. "He's nothing like the rest of us, and he never will be. I simply choose not to associate with that level of scum that they tolerate at this school."

"I think he's rather hot," Piper said under her breath, and Donna nodded slightly at her best friend as a sign that she agreed completely. Seeing that her friend was backing her up, Piper spoke up a little louder, "I mean, there's just this thing about him that screams 'dangerous and sexy'."

"No, there's this thing about him that screams fucking psycho." Jade hissed in fury. It was one thing to think Blake was cute, but downright contradicting her was simply intolerable. "Anybody who even thinks he's good looking screams desperate. And seeing as I refuse to be caught associating with desperate wannabes, the two of you would do well to shut up before I lose it."

Turning her head back to Mr. Delahaney, Jade zeroed in her attention to every single bullet point on the screen, trying not to think about anything else. Much as she tried, though, she couldn't help the nagging feeling inside of her. If she was truthful to herself, she would admit that the only flaw in her plan to break Chase van Buren was Blake van Buren, Chase's personal armor. And that flaw was the size of a gaping hole.

She hadn't been kidding when she'd said he was a psycho.

"Jade, what is Black Tuesday, when did it occur, and what was its impact on the American economy?" Jade snapped her head out of its reverie just in time to hear Mr. Delahaney fire a question at her as the powerpoint on the overhead flickered off.

She rolled her eyes in her mind. Delahaney always insisted on what he called "Power point pop quizzes". He always gave her the hardest one because he knew she'd be the only one to actually get it right. It was almost as much an honor as an annoyance. "Black Tuesday, which happened on October 29, 1929, was part of the Wall Street Crash that happened in the span of Thursday, Monday and Tuesday, with Black Tuesday as the most devastating day. On Black Tuesday, the stock market lost approximately 14 billion dollars, and the total amount lost cumulative was around 30 billion, a staggering amount that surpassed even the quantity that the United States had spent on World War One, leaving the United States stock market in serious jeopardy. Many people committed suicide during the Great Depression because they couldn't pay the mortgage and others who did not, became homeless or lived in Hoovervilles. Black Tuesday, though not completely responsible, added significantly to the fall of stock market in the Great Depression."

Mr. Delahaney nodded almost proudly at his prize student, and made a note in his gradebook. Someone whistled in a low, mocking tone.

Jade turned her head towards the source of the sound, only to see Blake propped back in his chair, legs spread open, and clapping slowly in mock admiration. "Wow. I think I finally know why you're so stiff. Being the class brown-noser must take up a lot of your energy," Blake called to her, not bothering to lower his voice.

Furious that Blake would try to imply something so sexually embarrassing about her, Jade called back, "Just because I refused your advances last night, doesn't make me stiff. Careful, Blake, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you're a little too interested in my personal life."

Blake barked out a laugh, "If I wanted you, I would have you screaming for me to stop until you couldn't take it anymore." Jade watched as he reverently rubbed his thumb over his knife blade and caught Blake's double meaning.

Jade bristled with anger, "I would rather not. You see, from where I come from, I don't believe in incest."

"Oh, don't worry your oversized head about it. I'm not interested. You deserve somebody who will enjoy memorizing the encyclopedia with you in their free time. On the other hand, I actually believe in having fun once in a while. I'm sure you've heard of that before, right? Or would you like me to give you the Merriam-Webster definition for it?" Blake said in that arrogant and flippant attitude of his, going as far as to actually pull a dictionary off the bookshelf.

"Mr. van Buren," Mr. Delahaney snapped out, saving Jade, "Since you obviously have so little regard for Ms. Lewallen's knowledge, let's see how well you stack up in comparison to her. Now tell me, who was the president of the United States during the Great Depresseion?"

Blake looked at Mr. Delahaney like he was crazy. _Herbert Hoover_, Jade's mind said triumphantly, knowing that there was no way Blake could get even an easy one like that. And she was right. "Shouldn't you be asking someone who cares?" Blake said simply, shaking his head slightly, like he was surprised by Mr. Delahaney's imperceptiveness.

Mr. Delahaney lowered his pen slowly to gaze into the staring eyes of Blake. "Mr. van Buren, it would do well to remember that your current grade is riding on this question."

"It would do well for you to remember that I don't really give a shit about my grade." Blake replied lazily, the very image of arrogance. Jade glared at him. She had no idea what her father had been thinking. If it'd been her, the only money she would've spent on him was to chuck him straight into Juvenile Hall.

Mr. Delahaney looked like he was having similar thoughts. "Mr. van Buren," Mr. Delahaney sighed in a regretful tone. He scribbled something onto a piece of paper, "please go to the principal's office." He ripped up the piece of paper from his pad and handed it to Blake.

Blake scanned what was written on it, and then scoffed contemptuously. "You're going to have to do better than that," Blake informed the teacher. The rest of the class watched in fascination as Blake took out his cigarette lighter and set the piece of paper on fire.

Donna gasped in admiration next to Jade. "I told you he was bad," she gushed to Piper. Jade crossed her arms. Blake had to be the sorriest excuse for a human being.

If only everybody would wake up and see that already.

Unfortunately, the only one in the room to share that sentiment was Mr. Delahaney, who looked like he was ready to scream in frustration. Never before in his entire eight years of teaching had he encountered this kind of a problem. "Blake, if I have to escort you to the Mrs. Cracow's office, you will be sorry. So, I suggest you leave my room. Now." Mr. Delahaney said, his attempt to reign in his temper painfully obvious.

Blake stared in shock for a minute, as if Mr. Delahaney had just handed him an early Christmas gift. Then, he snapped out of it and shrugged. "As you wish," Blake said derisively, before standing up and strolling leisurely out of the classroom empty-handed.

Out in the hallway, Arielle was bored to death. Ever since the lunch dump incident, Alana had gotten it inside her head that she was going to be the next addition to Jade's infamous group. Arielle simply didn't have the heart to tell her that she had just been duped in Jade's game of revenge.

"Anyways, I was shopping yesterday, and I found the cutest dress ever. I am totally going to wear it to your birthday bash." Alana breathed excitedly.

Arielle cringed. The annual Lewallen birthday bash was one of the most exclusive events of the year. It was weird hearing Alana talk about it like she'd already been invited.

"I swear, Jade and I are going to be the best of friends. I feel like I already know her." Alana continued, disregarding the fact that Jade obviously didn't see Alana in the same light.

Arielle nearly rolled her eyes. If only Alana could hear what Jade had to say about her, she wouldn't be so fast to become "best friends" with Arielle's twin.

When Arielle had confronted Jade after lunch that day about using Alana, Jade had just laughed, "Alana? Sure, I might've promised her, like, _one_ lunch with us, but really, she's just another pawn. Nothing important."

When Jade had said that, Arielle had felt a wave of nausea. Because, essentially, wasn't that what she did? Follow Jade's orders? Did that make her as insignificant as the rest of the school? Arielle didn't think she wanted to know.

"Look, Alana," Arielle began, trying to let the girl down gently. "I don't think Jade is—"

"Oh, you can call me La-la from now on. It's what all my closest friends call me," Alana interrupted, patting a hand on Arielle's arm.

She groaned inside. How was she supposed to tell Alana that they weren't best friends? "Okay, La-la," Arielle swallowed. It just wasn't in her to be mean. This was Jade's domain. Her sister was the one who could resolve the entire situation with a sneer and three words, "Go to hell."

Arielle cast her eyes around desperately, and saw what must've been God's greatest gift to her in a long time. "Blake," she called down the hall, seeing her friend casually stroll around the corner and into sight.

"Hey," Blake said, coming up to the two of them. "What are you doing out of class?" he asked Arielle, blatantly ignoring Alana.

"Thought I'd ask you the same question," Arielle pointed out, knowing that he most definitely did not have a free period like she did. Jade had made a big point of making them all memorize Blake and Arielle's schedules, saying that it was a defense layout.

There's a word for that kind of thing. It's called stalking.

"Blake," Alana spoke up, suggestively pulling her shirt down and showing him the products of all her plastic surgery. "Hi, I'm Alana. Arielle's best friend."

She offered a crisp, manicured hand.

He eyed it disdainfully and looked Alana straight in the eye with disgust. "I wouldn't touch that hand if my life depended on it. You practically fucked up my sister's first day with that hand," Blake said coldly, looking at Alana's creamy skin like it was diseased.

Alana drew it back, her face coloring as she remembered that Blake was Chase's brother. "That wasn't me," she cried, looking for all the world that she was about to break down. Nobody had ever said something this mean to her, and it was obvious that to suffer her first time at the wrath of Blake van Buren was making her a little more dramatic and distressed than usual. "Jade made me! I couldn't say no!"

Blake stiffened for a moment as he took in this new information. Arielle bit her lip, feeling like she should defend her sister. Then she realized that anything she said would only tip Blake off about that fact that Arielle had already known this beforehand and had chosen not to tell Blake. Their new friendship had been going so well so far, that she didn't want to mess it up.

"Cut the excuses. I really couldn't care less," Blake growled with a sense of finality, then grabbed Arielle's arm. "Come on, Arielle, let's go."

Feeling relieved by the fact that he hadn't blamed her yet and happy to be out of Alana's overwhelming presence, Arielle turned to give Alana a seemingly apologetic smile before turning and allowing herself to be led by Blake down the empty halls.

"Did your sister really do that?" Blake asked quietly, once they had walked a great deal in silence. There was no way to even feign ignorance and pretend like Arielle didn't know what he was asking about.

Arielle felt a lurch in her stomach. This was it. The moment that could either make it or break it. "She did," Arielle said, just as quietly, not knowing quite sure how else to back out of the situation. "I didn't know it was her until afterwards, though."

Arielle felt momentarily guilty for saying that. It felt like she was selling Jade out. Because, if she'd admitted to herself, in a way, it had been Arielle's fault too, to step back and not say anything about it.

_The classic turning a blind eye_, Arielle mused in her head. Was she really any better than Jade? Arielle thought back to all the tears Jade had caused and shuddered slightly. She certainly hoped so.

Back in the classroom, Jade was eying the clock impatiently. In exactly fifteen seconds, she'd be out of the freezing classroom, free to meander down the little shops near her house and get a nice, warm latte while gossiping with Winter and Arielle. Things had been so hectic since yesterday that she hadn't even had five minutes to relax yet.

_Stupid van Buren family_, Jade thought bitterly as the bell rang and she scooped up her bag from the floor.

Jade nearly ran out of the classroom and burst out of it like it was on fire. Outside, she breathed deeply as if she were inhaling cinnamon scents instead of textbooks and erasers. Finally free.

Now, time to get out of here and hit some of those shops. They were calling her name.

Jade remembered the first time she'd went shopping here. It'd been after a car accident, and her father had—in a fit of both insanity and generosity—given Jade and Arielle free reign with his credit cards, to celebrate Jade's health. Even though he hadn't physically came with them, Jade now realized that maybe it was his way of telling Jade that he was happy to have his daughter in his life.

Or maybe Daddy dearest was doing what he does best: getting the kids out of his way. Jade gets clothes. Daddy dearest gets screwed. It's a win-win situation. Too bad Jade had only been ten back then.

Now, at sixteen, Jade glanced at Winter and Arielle, the two of them talking contentedly with each other. Sometimes, it was moments like these that made a sense of giddy well up in her throat. Moments in time, when everything seemed so untouchable that it was almost unreal.

Jade parked her car on the side, turned off the engine to took a moment to gently run her hands over the seats. She'd had it immediately cleaned by Vernon, after that van Buren filth touched it. Now, everything was back to normal sans Blake's annoying odor and cigarette ashes.

The three of them got out of the car, pretending not to notice all the coveting stares of random strangers. Jade knew they made a pretty picture. Three high school girls who looked like supermodels, strutting down the sidewalk like it was a runway. Their eyes were unblinking and they stopped for no one.

It was while Jade was perfecting her blank gaze that she felt the intensity of a particular stare. Allowing herself to break out of her model mode, Jade let her eyes travel to the ice-blue, almond-shaped eyes of a striking woman. She looked to be in her late thirties, and her stance was proud and unyielding. Something about her looked very familiar, like Jade had seen her before. Not only that, but the way that she was staring at Jade made it seem as if she knew every one of Jade's dirty little secrets.

Jade tossed her hair haughtily. Who did this woman think she was anyway? She leveled her own stare at the woman before allowing it slide back into its proper position. This day was too good to be ruined by some random stranger.

The three of them slipped inside Omega, the "O" in front of the store reflecting brilliantly against the sunlight. Jade perused through the store, tapping her nails gently against the glass cases. She'd always thought that watches looked so professional, especially paired with Jade's extensive closet supply of blazers; it wouldn't hurt to get another jewel-studded watch to add to her collection.

"I want to try that one," Jade told the woman who was hovering at her elbow. The woman nodded nervously, licking her lips before reaching inside and handing the diamond encrusted Omega watch to Jade.

Jade slipped it on, and admired herself with it in the mirror. She posed with it with her hand on her hip when she saw something that made her freeze. The woman who had been staring at her outside was doing it again. Except this time, she was in the shop.

Holy shit. What was the woman's problem? Did she not understand personal privacy?

"We're leaving," Jade snapped to Winter and Arielle, who both looked up with confusion spelled all over their faces. "Now."

Arielle shrugged to Winter. She was used to these random outbursts. Jade was never one to try to beat around the bush.

Jade stomped outside, not bothering to see if Arielle and Winter were following behind. She quickly ducked into a Louis Vuitton store. Then, waving away an over-zealous worker, she slid a pair of sunglasses off the rack and onto her face. "You two. Huddle and pretend like we're talking," Jade barked. She positioned herself so that she was sideways from the entrance.

"So," Arielle said, fumbling for something to talk about, looking at the awkward circle they had formed. "what are we all doing this weekend?"

"Your dad's wedding rehearsal dinner," Winter said absentmindedly, before remembering that maybe she shouldn't be talking about anything wedding related in front of Jade.

"Me too," Arielle said, feeling like this was the most awkward conversation in the world. The air suddenly seemed quieter, as Winter and Arielle both played with their hands, trying to come up with a new topic.

Jade herself was completely oblivious to whatever was happening between her two best friends. She kept her eyes trained at the entrance, the movement undetected through the protection of the dark frames.

And there she was again. The woman had donned a cap and a jacket, but there was no mistaking the blue eyes that were wandering through the Louis Vuitton store.

Okay. Three times was a little too much to be a coincidence. Jade slammed the sunglasses onto the counter. "The two of you go without me. I have something to settle first." Her eyes narrowed, as they stared the woman down until she finally noticed Jade's glare.

Jade's line of vision fazed out until all she could see was the brunette. Ignoring Arielle's confused questions, she stormed over, and stared at the woman relentlessly. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Jade gritted.

The woman's face broke out into a lovely, genuine smile. "Jade Lewallen. I've been looking forward to this for a long time," she said, her smile hiding the almost ominous tone behind her words.

Jade scoffed, "I wish I could say the same." She paused. "On second thought, I don't. I just want to know why you keep following me."

The woman inclined her head, "Naturally. I suggest a better place where we can sit and talk?"

"Don't try anything, or it will be the last thing you do," Jade threatened, keeping a hand on her phone. Her mind flashed back to yesterday. Maybe Chase had been too trusting with strangers, and that's why she ended up in some old residential home.

"Is the local Starbucks alright with you?" the woman sighed, taking the disgusting hat off of her head and smoothing her hair out with the palm of her hand.

Jade nodded suspiciously, allowing herself to follow the woman to the local Starbucks. She kept her distance, trailing behind, just in case the woman wanted to try something.

"So why don't you tell me what this is all about,' Jade snapped, once she was seated down at a tiny two-person table, requisite latte in hand.

"You sound just like your father, you know," the woman commented offhandedly, looking out the window at the busy street. "You look just like her, though."

"I have no idea who the hell you are talking about," Jade said, annoyed that she'd been dragged all the way down here just so the woman could stare at that annoying window like it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"Your mother. It's a shame she married that poor excuse of a man," the woman shook her head sadly. "Biggest mistake of her life."

"That's my father you're talking about," Jade said in a threatening voice. Often times without realizing it, she'd slip into what Arielle told her was the quiet tone. The one where it always felt like it was the calm before the storm. The one when Jade was at her scariest.

The woman didn't even flinch. "I see you've inherited his personality too." She noted, looking Jade over as if seeing her for the first time. "Pity. I had hoped more of her would've rubbed off on you."

"You have no right to talk about my father that way," Jade yelled, the child-like idolization of her father kicking in.

Then, she realized something odd.

_Why am I defending anyway? He's the one that brought the van Buren hell on my life. Let him rot in hell. _

The other side of her argued. _Yeah, but he's Dad. The one who lets you have anything you want. _

_Doesn't matter. It certainly doesn't mean he hasn't ever cared about us_, a third part jumped in, voice tinged with sadness.

"I've had enough," Jade said, slamming her hand down on the tiny table so that it rattled slightly. Anything to get the voices in her head to shut up. "This conversation is over."

"Haven't you ever wondered?" the woman called, taking a casual sip of her mocha. "Do you know why he never pays attention to you? Because I do."

"What would you know?" Jade snarled, her mind trying to convince the rest of her body to leave before she threw her pride away. Her body, however, tugged Jade back into her seat. The brutal curiosity was overwhelming. What did this stranger think she knew, anyway?

"I know that he doesn't ever look at you anymore. Because you look so much like her, every time he sees you, it must be like looking into the eyes of truth on judgment day. In fact, if I didn't hate him so much, I would almost be sorry for him." The woman laughed unkindly, as if she were reveling in Mark Lewallen's supposed pain.

"He doesn't need your sympathy," Jade automatically replied in defense, mostly because she couldn't think of anything else to say. The woman couldn't be serious. There was nothing that Mark was guilty of. Nothing.

The woman gave a very loud and obvious sigh when she heard that. "You know, it was never this hard talking to your sister," the woman said, showing the first signs of annoyance at Jade's constant snide remarks.

"You don't know my sister," Jade scoffed. If Arielle had seen this woman, she would've already warned Jade to stay far away from this delusional mental patient.

"Of course I know your sister. Her name's Arielle. She has blonde wavy hair, blue eyes. Loves classical movies and ballet. Always cries after watching The Notebook. Born two minutes after you." The woman reeled off, like she was reading all of this off a placard.

There was a brief moment of silence as Jade took in everything the woman had just said. Then, "What the fuck?" Jade scooted backwards, her chair bumping into the couple behind her. She didn't even turn around. "Who the hell are you?"

"Don't you know, Jade?" the woman stared back at Jade coolly, completely unfazed by Jade's outburst. "I'm your mother's sister. And this time, I'm back to take care of something I should've done six years ago."

"My mother is dead. She has no sister," Jade spat out, feeling tainted by the mere fact that this woman in front of her had the gall to even make up something as serious as family lineage.

"I bet that's what he told you, tricky bastard that he is." The woman muttered to herself, shaking her head in a disappointed manner. "Look, Jade. I'm not lying to you. I don't need to. I can even prove it."

The woman reached inside her handbag and pulled out her designer Gucci wallet. She quickly pulled out a photo and handed it over to Jade, who took it with reluctant fingers. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to know what was on it.

Jade studied the picture closely, and felt the base of her throat drop mercilessly. She squinted. Something about the picture felt familiar. Like she'd seen it before. Even more surprising than that was the woman in the picture.

She was completely identical to Jade in every way. This woman in the photo looked like she should've been Jade's twin, not Arielle. This was, without a shadow of doubt, Jade's mother. There was no way to even deny the woman posing in the picture. Besides, standing next to the woman in a handsome tuxedo was none other than Jade's father.

It was a younger version of Mark Lewallen. His hair was cropped short, and his face was bold and unlined with youth. There was a slightly bored expression on his face, the very same expression that Jade had watched and imitated for years before perfecting it and unleashing it to her classmates.

The two of them—Mark and her mother-- stood together, posing for what looked like prom pictures. Behind them, Jade could see other random people who were congregated and looking at Jade's parents enviously.

Unable to look at her mother's face, frozen in time, Jade flipped the picture down onto the table, only to see something written on the back of it. She picked it up again and brought it closer to her face.

_To my baby sister Sienna. Because you wanted to come with me so badly and whined about it for hours. Hope you send me your own prom picture in the future. Love you lots, Astoria. _

The note was written in a tidy, loopy cursive and there was a smiley face at the bottom. Jade turned the picture over again, looking at the happy expression that Jade knew she herself wouldn't ever be capable of. Astoria seemed so content in the moment, that Jade couldn't bear to look at it anymore. Wordlessly, she handed the picture back to Sienna.

"I'm sorry she's died from giving birth to me and my sister," Jade said in a detached voice, as if she were talking about a stranger and not her own mother. But then again, she had never known her mother, so this Astoria was basically a stranger to her. Still, it was quite possibly the first non-rude thing she had said to Sienna since they'd sat down.

On hearing Jade's words, Sienna's head snapped up, a look of confusion spilling over her face. Jade saw why Sienna's eyes had seemed so familiar. They were so similar to Arielle's own baby blues. Now, on Sienna, they were narrowed in puzzlement, "She didn't die of childbirth."

"Then, how did she die?" Jade said, her previous annoyance at the woman returning full force. She just had a very trying day at school, and was now talking to her long lost aunt. As of now, Jade just wanted to go home, forget about the picture, and go back to her life of torturing the less fortunate. Was that really too much to ask for?

Sienna looked at Jade for a moment longer, as if she were pondering something. Then, her face lit up with recognition. "You're being brainwashed," the woman declared abruptly. "Your asshole of a father has obviously been feeding you false memories to make up for the ones you lost during the car accident. I didn't think he'd take it this far though."

When she heard this, Jade felt the familiar ball of rage sweeping through her. "Liar!" Jade jumped up for the second time since she'd entered this coffee shop. She didn't even care about all the people gawking at her like she was some zoo monstrosity. All Jade wanted was to get out.

"I can promise you I'm not lying." The woman said quietly, her disturbingly blue eyes never even deviating away to fend off the stares of the other customers. She pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote something on it before giving it to Jade. "For when you're ready to hear the truth. This is my name, and the place I'm staying at. I would love to finish off this conversation in a more private place. If you would do me the honor of visiting me Thursday afternoon at four, I would be happy to clarify everything that I can."

Jade snatched the piece of paper so fast that she could've given the other woman a paper cut. She glanced down at it briefly and sneered, "Why would I want to visit you? I don't even trust you."

Sienna sighed like she was speaking to an extremely slow five-yearl-old. "As of now, your memories are wrong, so you obviously can't trust your father. You need me to tell you the truth. I'm the only one right now who can provide that for you." Sienna told Jade in that sure and still voice of hers.

"And what do you get out of this?" Jade said, refusing to believe that anyone would be doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.

"Justice." The woman said quietly, picking up her handbag and slinging it over her shoulder, her brown hair falling in front of her face in waves. "Think about it, won't you?"

Then, she walked out the door, disappeared into the crowd, and was gone.

Jade numbly picked up her own belongings, dumping the remains of her latte into the trash can. Her day was ruined. Not even latte could fix it now.

In the span of about an hour, she'd found out that her whole life had been one big lie, constructed and manipulated by her father, who didn't even love her anymore because of the resemblance that Jade bore towards his dead wife.

Jade opened her fist, which had been wound so tight that it had crumpled the tiny piece of paper that Sienna had given her. Did she even want to know the truth?

Then, as a gaggle of teenage girls brushed past Jade, Jade felt a surge of anger. For all her life, she'd let her father take control, had idolized him from afar, given him all her efforts and love in blind devotion, and put him on top of a pedestal when he didn't deserve to be there. And if he couldn't even tell her the truth, then maybe it was time to take him down.

And if the saying "Knowledge is power" was true, then she would be starting on Thursday afternoon with a certain piece of paper clutched in her hand.

A/N: Hey, I'm not sure if this chapter was confusing or not. I think maybe towards the end it started getting all weird and everything. The thing is, I already know the whole entire story, so it makes sense in my mind. I don't know if it actually transfers when it's being restricted and filtered, though. Basically, Jade lost her memory in a car accident six years ago, and Mark has been filling it with things that never happened. If anybody has a problem understanding or needs clarifying, send me a message or something, and I would be happy to answer any questions. If things kind of make sense for now, it'll make more sense in a couple of chapters.

Oh, also, I included a few pictures of who I would imagine to be the characters. Because these are sole products of boredom, I would be happy to take any other suggestions if you happen to know an actress or actor who would fit the bill. Just send me a message or something.

Okay, that's it for now. Enjoy, and as always, please read and review if you feel like it.

Arielle: .com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/draft_lens1472799module9238012photo_1208959382emma_

Jade: .

Or .com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/go108a_.jpg

Blake: . and

./2009/04/gaspard_


	14. Chapter 14

Don't Get Angry. Get Even.

Blake van Buren could hardly wait. It was going to be amazing, this little brainchild idea of his. Really, he wondered why he hadn't done anything like this before.

He'd never felt so smart in his whole entire life. _I'm killing two birds with one stone_, Blake mused happily, binder in hand. Just what would the teachers think of Jade now?

It had all started with yesterday night. After Arielle had came home, saying that Jade was in an awful mood, Blake had immediately known that it was going be a good rest of his day.

Except for the fact that he still had to finish Mrs. Dupont's ridiculous English essay final.

Four pages minimum, no double space, twelve point font, ready to hand in Wednesday morning. Analyze Raskolnikov's character change in relation to the political, physiological, philosophical, and religious ideals happening in Crime and Punishment's eighteenth century Russia.

Yeah, right. Like Blake had the time to even write a four page crap on that, unlike Jade, who'd already stapled her over-achieving six pages of Crime and Punishment crap and put it into her binder.

But then God had sent him a clear message in the form of Jade Lewallen's unattended computer, in all its six pages of glory. All he'd had to do was sneak in, change the name to his and erase the document permanently from her files.

Now, Blake looked at his clean essay in all of its beautiful glory. Revenge and no Dupont homework for the night. Life was really starting to look up.

Blake trailed his fingers on the unruffled paper. He had tried to read and understand some of what Jade Lewallen was saying about Existentialism and the Ubermensch and Nietsche and all that crap. He wasn't an expert, but did make sure that he knew what all that stuff was about, just in case Dupont wanted to quiz him on it or something.

He shrugged. No matter. Even if he did fail the stupid final essay, there wasn't much it could do to affect his life. He was already set on his plan that he didn't even bother trying to feel guilt and remorse.

Besides, even if Dupont failed him, he'd always wondered if he'd be breaking a record for being the only one to graduate high school with a 0.0 GPA. It was certainly worth a try.

Blake walked into the classroom, late again for the second time since he'd arrived at the school.

"Late," Mrs. Dupont said from the classroom.

"Sorry. It won't happen again," Blake said, mustering up a polite voice and a charming smile. _I'm going to ace your class, you old hag_, he crowed to himself triumphantly. He could certainly afford a little manners towards the old lady. After all, victory would soon be his.

Then, he made a big show of walking to the back of the classroom, taking his sweet time so that by the time he got there, the rest of the class was already facing forward again. Then, once he was satisfied that everybody else was busy, he quickly found Jade's essay. He stuffed it into his jacket before sliding his essay in the middle of the pile.

Perfect. It was time that Jade got a taste of her own medicine. If she thought that she could try to hurt his sister and get away with it, she would soon be receiving a very nasty wake up call in the form of a big, fat "F".

He sat back in his chair, feeling incredibly smug with himself. He had a feeling that Jade's reaction was going to be priceless.

And he was not disappointed.

"What?" Jade hissed, the next day, when Mrs. Dupont called Jade up to the teacher's private desk to tell her about the disappearance of her essay. Blake tried very hard not to smirk at Jade's expression. She was furiously trying to keep her temper in check. Her face looked like it was trying to decide if it wanted to take the polite, goody-two-shoes image or the threatening I'm-about-to-destroy-you one. Between the two, it looked as if she were constipated.

"Maybe I lost it, or something," Mrs. Dupont said frantically. Out of all the teachers, she was more grandmotherly than strict. The kind of person who believed in student-teacher friendships and couldn't bear to be strict and "uncool" to her students.

Mrs. Dupont rifled through her pile, looking for Jade Lewallen's crisp essay with the trademark expensive, card paper. She looked up with a defeated look, "Sorry. I don't know where it is."

Blake couldn't resist a little chuckle from where he'd been enjoying the entire show.

Jade swiveled her head to glare at him. When her eyes connected with his, they narrowed dangerously. "Blake van Buren stole it." Jade accused, marching over to Blake's desk and pointing at him accusingly. "He must have."

"What are you talking about, Jade?" Blake replied, his eyes twinkling. "I don't need your essay. After all, I spent a lot of time researching Russia and the 1800s, putting a great deal of thought into Existentialism ideas and Friedrich Nietsche."

He winked saucily at Jade when Mrs. Dupont wasn't looking.

It didn't help when Mrs. Dupont nodded affirmatively, "That's true. Blake did write a very compelling essay. He explored all aspects of nineteenth century culture very effectively. I was very impressed," Mrs. Dupont smiled mistily at Blake, who gave her angelic smile back.

"He stole my essay!" Jade screamed, recognizing everything that Blake had said was all taken from Jade's work of genius. Her face was so red with anger that Blake was half-amused, waiting for her to keel over in dead faint.

"Mrs. Dupont, I can assure you I did no such thing." Blake answered in mock seriousness, his piercing eyes looking to the teacher's in sincerity. "I can't believe my sister would say that when she knows how many hours I spent, trying to impress you. You have to excuse her, though" Blake pretended to whisper, even though it was still loud enough for everyone in the vicinity, "I'm pretty sure it's her time of the month, and I know she's been spending so much time on family problems…the poor thing probably couldn't take it anymore."

Blake sat back triumphantly, knowing from the look on Mrs. Dupont's face that she'd bought his concerned brotherly love story hook, line, and sinker. If Jade continued to accuse him now, it would look as if she was the one lying, especially after Blake had just regaled Dupont with a show of his great brotherly care. Jade would have to think of something better.

Jade must've recognized this too, because she backtracked a little and calmed her voice so that she was no longer screaming at every living thing within five feet of her. "He's right, Mrs. Dupont. I have been so depressed lately with peer pressure and everything, that it's been extremely difficult to concentrate. Would it be okay for me to turn it in tomorrow? I can guarantee that it will surpass Blake's essay ten fold." She smiled sweetly, but her eyes promised murder.

Mrs. Dupont frowned temporarily, torn between choosing to be the lenient friend or the rule-abiding teacher. "You know, Beverly Champion High School has very strict rules on late work. However, if you turn it in tomorrow, I will consent to giving you half credit."

Blake could literally see Jade's face scrunch up, as she mentally calculated how badly an "F" could do to her grade. "That would put my grade at a B+," Jade choked out, her face drawn with horror at the prospect of not being the perfect, 5.0 GPA student.

Well, she would just have to get over it.

"I'm sorry Jade, it's the best I can do." Mrs. Dupont said gently. "There's still enough time in school, so I'm sure you can bring it up again."

Jade looked like she was about to fight it, but ended up closing her mouth and nodding sharply. "I understand," Jade swallowed tightly, like she was pushing back tears at not being number one for once. Blake would've been sorry for what he'd done, but then he saw Chase's splotchy face that day in the bathroom, and that tiniest trace of sympathy was gone.

Besides, it was hard to feel sympathetic when he could practically feel her glares radiating onto his upper back.

Just to gall her even further, Blake turned back and whispered to her, "I can help you with that essay if you'd like. I'm pretty sure I did a damn good job on mine." He winked at her red face and turned back again.

He nearly purred in self-satisfaction when he heard her seething behind him. This was way too easy.

After class, he casually picked up his binder, and made his way through the crowded hallways. The rows of lockers gleamed beside him, everything shiny and polished to look like brand new.

_Nothing but the best for these filthy rich kids_, Blake sniggered to himself. He could've made friends easily enough. After all, he had been added onto the basketball team, and there were quite a few others who had extended their hands to him. He just didn't want to. This isolation was better; he didn't have to pretend with himself. Besides, when he finally got his mom to move back, he wouldn't be attached or anything.

Blake distinctly saw a halo of golden, wavy curls that was Arielle's signature style. He smiled and ambled towards her, leaning against the lockers beside hers. Arielle would be his only friend.

He had originally noticed her because she had been the hottest girl in the vicinity, and he figured that a quick one night thing would make him feel better. And then, of course, he had to go and lose his head in a fit of insanity by telling her about his dad. Blake mentally knocked himself on the head. He still wasn't sure if that'd been a good idea.

But the most pivotal part was when she had gotten angry at him. Instead of letting him take her right there and then at the pool, she'd practically slugged him. And, even though he knew it wasn't normal, he'd felt respect for her instead of angry at being rejected.

_There's something wrong with me_, Blake shook his head mentally. No normal teenage guy would be happy that he'd gotten snubbed instead of laid.

But he was. And that had marked Arielle was worthy of knowing, in Blake's mind. He didn't want to be in the company of mindless bimbos who would talk his head off and expect commitment. Yeah, they were fun and all, but repetition does get boring.

But if Arielle and he could be friends, then he was fine with taking the time to get to know her.

"Hey," she said to him casually, not looking up from the dial she held in her hands. She gave a frustrated yank that didn't do much of anything. Sighing, she retried it again, twirling the numbers expertly.

Blake smiled when he saw the difficulty she was going through. He took it from her forcefully, and said in a bored voice, "Numbers?"

"05-31-92," she said, watching him carefully, like a fascinated student. Blake cranked the numbers into the dial and pulled the lock open with a satisfying snap. He almost laughed at her disbelieving expression. It had been way too easy. Having actually had to pick countless of harder and more complicated locks before at his old school without even being given the combination, this one was a piece of cake.

Arielle grumbled at his cocky and amused expression and opened her locker, "I would've done it myself anyway."

"Didn't look that way to me," Blake laughed, as Arielle slammed her locker shut after throwing in all her textbooks into the disorganized heap.

She punched him lightly in response and the two of them started off down the empty hallway, as sounds from the cafeteria grew louder and louder. Blake saw Arielle sniff tentatively in the air to see what the cafeteria ladies were serving today, and sigh, "Sushi bar it is," once she realized that the main menu consisted of potato fritters.

Blake laughed and threw an arm around her, "Don't tell me you're one of those girls who starve themselves." He looked pointedly at Arielle's ridiculously straw-thin figure.

Arielle didn't say anything, but turned slightly pale, and Blake briefly wondered if her lack of response was because she really was anorexic. Girls were supposedly quite sensitive with that kind of thing.

"Well, well, well. Fancy this." A cool voice said coldly, and Blake looked up to see Jade Lewallen standing at the end of the hallway, with a sidekick standing right next to her.

Guess Arielle wasn't thinking about anorexia after all.

"Hey Jade," Arielle said casually, although there was a thin tremor beneath her voice. "I was just about to go find you."

Jade's eyes flashed dangerously, and Blake's emerald green ones turned to ice and stone. Jade walked a few steps towards them, and stood a few feet in front of Arielle. "Arielle, and I thought even you had better class than this," Jade sneered, not even throwing Blake a disgusted look.

"Look, Jade, can we please talk about this later?" Arielle said, her voice traveling into a higher pitch.

"No, we can't." Jade said, coming forth and grabbing Arielle's lower arm. "I think we should talk about this right now, in front of this lying, conniving, scumbag dirt."

Despite how angry he was, Blake smiled. So she was still bummed out about the essay. That certainly explained a lot.

Arielle shot Blake a desperate look. It wasn't a plea for rescuing, more like a plea for Blake to understand that Arielle didn't have a choice to correct Jade's rudeness.

"Jade, for someone who thinks so highly of herself, you're a pretty boring person. Try to come up with something better than a dig at my background, will you? After all, we'll all be family soon," Blake said in a sort of teasing, brotherly voice. It was obvious that Jade couldn't stand the thought of Blake being immune to her almighty wrath.

"This someone is a lot more than you will ever be, even if I am thoroughly disgusted right now," Jade hissed in retort, glaring at Arielle all the more fiercely. "And Arielle, next time, try whoring yourself out to someone a little more worthy of it. I think that's something even your ditzy little brain can manage."

Arielle's cheeks colored in response and Blake could see that she was trying to fight off tears of both anger and embarrassment at being demeaned this way by her own sister, never mind the fact that Arielle and Blake hadn't even engaged in anything remotely "whorish".

"That's enough," Blake said in a low voice, all cheerful pretenses now gone. He didn't know if he was more angry at Jade for doing this to her own sister or more sorry for Arielle's inability to stand up for herself.

"That's right, I've had enough of you. Come on, Winter, let's go to lunch." Jade said, failing to include Arielle's name, but all the same, dragging her sister into the cafeteria by the arm.

Blake watched the three of them disappear behind closed doors and then turned slowly and walked in the other direction, his hands fumbling for his lighter and a cigarette, the only real money he spent nowadays.

He frowned as he tossed the empty box into the nearest trash can. He knew it was bad for his health and all that, but he couldn't make himself kick the habit. Lately, with everything going on, he'd been going through them like water. If he had to see Jade more in the future—which he was almost a hundred and ten percent sure he did—then, he had better run down to the drugstore to replenish his supply.

He inhaled and frowned as he thought about Jade. He didn't understand how she had no sisterly regard for Arielle's well being at all. He'd certainly had times when he'd felt like throttling Chase, but he was quite proud to say that he'd never acted on those urges.

Actually, if he got right down to it, he didn't even know why Arielle took the brunt of the blame when it was Blake that Jade should've been yelling at. But then again, Blake thought almost smugly, Jade couldn't quite intimidate him and push his buttons the way she could manipulate the seemingly weak-minded Arielle.

He stood in front of the school's great glass walls. The entire second level was covered in delicate panes, which afforded him a view of the back of the school in all its stately beauty. Blake looked down and could see the tennis courts lined up neatly next to each other. Even further than that, the soccer and football fields dominated the view for as far as the eye could see, and Blake could see stadiums all around the football arena and the baseball pits.

It really was a stunning school; if he had been born into another life and had turned out into one of these rich kids, maybe he would be able to appreciate the school in all its hundreds acres of multi-billion architectural genius and natural grace. As it was, all he could see was that this was his prison.

As he took one last drag on his cigarette and threw it away, suddenly, a figure slammed into him. The person wheeled him around and backed him up against the nearest wall.

Blake blinked at this new development, barely having any time to process it into his brain, when this person kissed him. Her lips were all over his as her tongue found a way into his mouth. Seeing that he was participating as zealously as her, the person bit down on Blake's bottom lip with both passion and anger before the tables turned and she was the one backed against the wall.

Blake pulled away reluctantly, determined to see who his unknown attacker was. When his eyes had cleared and he saw who it was, his jaw dropped.

"Jade?" he asked hoarsely, losing all capacity to formulate a comeback about how Jade was lowering her standards by kissing a filthy street rat like him.

For all that talk she'd just given Arielle about standards, Jade was a pretty filthy hypocrite herself.

She looked up defiantly at him and pushed him into the wall once more.

He glared at her angrily. For someone who'd just kissed him on her own volition, she had no right to push him around like this. "Okay, just exactly what the hell is going on here, Lewallen?"

"I'll tell you what's going on. You," she spat, and Blake's eyebrows rose in confusion. How did she switch moods so fast? "You've come here and ruined everything. You've ruined my home, my grades, but you can't have this! You can't take Arielle away from me!" Jade's eyes had gone wide and her voice was rising even higher.

Blake pulled her into the nearest empty classroom, knowing that at this rate, the whole school would come running in five minutes to see what Jade Lewallen was screaming about. He couldn't help but wonder if she was going insane. After all, normal people didn't kiss someone and then start yelling at them for nothing.

"First of all, I have no idea what the hell you're on. I'm not taking anything from you," Blake snapped irritably. Jade Lewallen had some serious issues. "And second of all, don't you have a boyfriend?"

"This isn't about him," Jade snapped back, "I know what you're doing, and I won't let you take the only family I have."

"Oh yeah?" Blake said coolly, "Last I checked, family didn't mean forsaking each other and embarrassing them shitless."

"I wouldn't have had to do that if she hadn't forsaken me first," Jade snarled, and clenched her tiny fists together.

Blake stared at her for a moment, not realizing how much of a control freak that Jade was until this moment. Then, it dawned on him. Jade was trying to keep Arielle in line by marking Blake in her own way. Had it been some sort of revenge that Jade could kiss Blake if she wanted to, and yet Arielle couldn't do the same, out of fear of Jade's wrath?

This was the most twisted sisterly relationship he'd ever seen. He chuckled in the back of his head at a sudden thought. What would Jade say if she knew that Arielle and Blake were only friends and that she'd kissed a street rat for nothing?

"Arielle and I are just friends," Blake informed her, still grinning, "But now that you mention it, I have been fantasizing about her for quite a while now…"

She punched him in the chest so that Blake nearly doubled up.

"Just out of curiosity," Blake rasped, trying to catch his breath, "Why do you care so much?"

Jade's face was splotchy and red, whether from anger or exhaustion, Blake would never know, "My dad doesn't care about me. My mom's dead. My friends are nothing more than puppets. But Arielle is tied to me. She's the only one who loves me anymore, because she's my sister. And I swear, if you make her turn on me, it will be the last fucking thing you ever do." Jade said all of this coldly, her hands gripping into the front of his shirt threateningly, even though there was almost no emotion at all on her harshly beautiful face.

It was the first time she'd been so expressionless. Normally, Jade was quite open. She scowled when she was angry, sucked up to the teachers when she needed something, and acted superficially nice when it benefitted her. But it was never this mask of unfeeling.

She might have fooled everyone else, but Blake saw right into her. She didn't show expression because she didn't want to feel vulnerable to sentiments like compassion and love. Because it would make her feel weak. Whatever past she'd had had made her feel like she couldn't let the world see who she really was.

He knew all this and more because he was built the exact same way, and for the first time, Blake saw Jade in a different light. Ever since his dad had left, Blake had molded himself into a person that would trust no one, would depend only on himself for survival. Because it would be much easier to just close up and keep it all inside.

Looking at Jade's angry stance in front of him, Blake felt sympathetic and pity towards her. In the end the two of them, they were all fucked up in the same places.

Blake looked away from her grey eyes, not wanting to see anymore. "I won't turn her against you," Blake said quietly, watching as surprise flitted across her face. Not wanting to give her the chance to say anything else, he pulled open the door, and exited out of the room wondering why in the world he was bothering to be nice to someone like Jade.

The irony suddenly struck him that the person they both hated most in the world right now was the person that knew each other the best.

Blake grumbled to himself. Since when had his life become so complicated? He missed the days when he could code everything into black and white and excuse the things he didn't like with his flippant attitude.

He strolled around a corner and stopped. His sister was sitting alone at the bottom of the steps, eating her lunch alone. Blake cleared his throat, and Chase almost jumped up in self defense. When she saw that it was none other than her own brother, she sat back down. "Hey Blake."

"Chase, what are you doing here?" Blake asked, sitting down next to her, and looking at the sandwich that Chase had packed herself this morning. Afraid that the housekeepers wouldn't know about her allergy to nuts, she'd cautiously made herself a ham sandwich instead.

"Connor's with the soccer team, and I thought that it'd be nicer to eat here, in the peace and quiet," Chase shrugged carelessly and took another zealous bite into the bread.

Blake nearly rolled his eyes at his sister. It was just like her to try to tone down her suffering by making everything seem okay. He was almost tempted to ask if the real reason she didn't want to go into the lunchroom was because she was scared of being ostracized and picked on again. Blake knew that even if Chase pretended like she could be strong and handle everything, there was always a breaking point.

But, something stopped him. There was something holding him back, telling him that he shouldn't push Chase any further. She would tell him in her own time and until then, he allowed the two of them to sit together in silence until the bell rang five minutes later.

Later that night, Chase lay alone in her bed, wondering why she couldn't say something about how she was feeling. Today at lunch, she'd almost wanted to speak up and talk to Blake. But somehow, she couldn't bear to do it.

If she did, she would've admitted to him that she was still scared to death of what had happened a few nights ago. She'd told everyone that she was fine so that they wouldn't have to worry, but sometimes, she could still feel herself tensing up at the weirdest times.

Like today, when she'd completely ran the opposite way when she saw Ryder coming. She knew it was irrational, and he'd seem genuine in his confusion about her disappearance, but she couldn't help but connect him with what had happened.

Besides, she figured that she was justified. After all, it wasn't normal to be kidnapped and then be perfectly fine the next day.

And her mom wasn't helping either. After a few questions about if Chase was okay, her mom had pretty much left it at that in favor of spending more time with Mark Lewallen.

Chase punched her pillow angrily. How fine could a person be when they'd been abandoned in the middle of the road? Sure, love was blind (or blinding in Chase's case), but did that mean that her own mother preferred Mark to her daughter?

Sometimes, it would seem like people just choose not to see what's right in front of them.

Chase flipped onto her right side, tugging the sheets up to tuck around her chin. She knew that she was being overly whiny about this, but a part of her was frustrated that Hannah couldn't spare an hour to get to know Chase a little better.

If she did, she would've found out that Chase often lied to make her mother's life more bearable. Like the time when a girl had bit her in elementary school. Like the lunch incident. Or what had happened Monday night.

_And if she did, she would know that I can't go to sleep at night anymore_, Chase thought miserably. She would never forget that moment in time when she'd thought that it was all going to all be over for her.

Chase gripped the sheets tighter to her chest and tossed a little more, knowing that she couldn't fall asleep because closing her eyes would be like being blindfolded all over again, and helpless to do anything.

Chase was in the middle of playing the counting sheep game with herself when she heard a strange cat noise outside her window. She frowned. In all her days here at the Lewallen grounds, she had never seen so much as a piece of animal fur.

Maybe it's the neighbor's cat, Chase mused to herself before remembering that the Lewallen property extended for acres all around.

Cautiously opening the blinds, Chase looked out of her window and onto the front of the grounds. It was mostly dark outside, so Chase opened up her small, bedside lamp and squinted out into the darkness.

She let her eyes wander onto the empty gazebo and over the swimming pool, when a movement caught her eyes. She immediately directed her gaze at the spot in the bushes and nearly felt her heart stop when she saw a prowling figure instead of the cat she'd thought it was.

It was much too dark to distinguish who it was and Chase quickly turned off her bedroom light, in case it alerted the person to her less-than-sleeping self.

Throwing her sheets off of her, Chase quietly made her way to the door and slipped outside and into the hallway. It's probably just Arielle or Jade, Chase said to herself, making her way down the empty hall while firmly ignoring the voice in her head that was asking Chase why Arielle or Jade would feel the need to sneak around in bushes at one in the morning.

Okay fine, so maybe it wasn't Jade or Arielle. Still, she couldn't bear to wake the rest of the house. That would mean immediate pandemonium, and Chase wanted to find out for herself why there was a person sneaking around. Besides, she figured that she'd have the advantage of stealth and secrecy.

She passed through the other closed doors and the thought of people sleeping behind the doors was both comforting and disturbing. Comforting because she wasn't the living soul. Disturbing because they were all sound asleep, unlike a certain sixteen year old.

Well, maybe this sixteen year old could do something useful for a change. If there was a mysterious prowler on the loose, Chase wanted to make sure he or she never came back. Besides, she doubted that the person would truly want to cause harm. But, just for good measure, she laid her hand on a spare picture frame, just in case she needed to shatter the glass and fight the prowler.

Brave, but foolish. Some people just don't know what's good for them.

Chase slipped downstairs and made her way to the door that would lead to the outdoor pool. She gently slid open the glass door and treaded her way softly onto the newly cut grass.

But when she reached the bushes, nobody was there. Chase gave an inaudible sigh of frustration. There went her element of surprise.

Then, from the bushes, she saw a spot of light flash from the house, and she briefly wondered if someone was awake too. But then, all too soon, it disappeared again.

Suddenly, looking around her, Chase seemed to notice that it was very dark and that she was alone in the silence of the night. Then, a thought struck her. It could very well be that the prowler was the one who had tried to kill her instead of some misguided soul.

Now, feeling sick in her stomach at her stupidity, Chase nearly ran back into the house and shut the door behind her, locking it effectively. From there, she traveled as fast as she could back upstairs and into her room, where she shut the door and locked it.

Chase climbed into bed and closed her eyes, shivering at the now cold sheets. Why had her sleep deprived brain thought that it would be a good idea to go hunting for midnight trespassers? Somewhere in her mind, she was telling herself to relax and to be thankful that she was safe and sound in her bed.

She rolled over and hit a spot. Chase froze and her eyes flew open. Somehow, the spot was hot and warm, unlike the rest of the cold bed. As if a live human body had been sitting on it mere moments before Chase had entered the room.

And somewhere in the distance, a cat's meow could be heard in the darkness, almost as if it too, was warning Chase van Buren to stay away.

**AN: Just for everyone's information, I know that the links didn't work last time. This time, they will be on my profile. **

**Also, just to explain the kissing scene, Jade is angry at Arielle because she thinks that her sister will leave her side and join Blake's. So, in retaliation Jade kisses Blake and also because she feels the need to be number one and control everything around her. It's a bit of weird psychology going on. If anyone has any questions, send me a message or something. **

**Until then, please read and review! I would love to know what all of you think. Also, I accept flames, just make sure that if you say something like, "It sucked", at least tell me why so I can improve it next time. Otherwise than that, I welcome all feedback and criticism. ******


	15. Chapter 15

Cracks and Pieces

The sun punctuated the Friday afternoon, throwing rays across the brilliant school grounds. Ryder sat with West and Duke, gazing mournfully at the front of the school, arches and all.

There was something strangely beautiful about this moment in time, when everything seemed to come to life out of a fairytale. When the world just falls to your feet and nothing matters anymore.

Ryder frowned, pulling his brows together. Poetic and Romantic Ryder had a nasty tendency of rearing its ugly head in this farce of a biology class, and he didn't like it one bit. It had only been one week, and already, Ryder was on the countdown of days until summer started.

Well, to be truthful, he'd been on the countdown ever since the first day of school started. It was just more accentuated now, by the familiar Californian sun feeling that always marked the proximity of three school-less months.

Sighing longingly, he looked at West, who was flipping his red pen in his left hand, looking like he couldn't wait to get out of Hellebore's class too.

Ryder snickered. Their science teacher's name had been subjected to constant ridicule. People often commented about how accurately her last name described her class.

"Guess what?" West caught Ryder's eye and leaned towards Ryder, lowering his voice. The three of them occupied the back row, so the chances of someone hearing them were fairly low.

"You finally shagged someone yesterday night?" Ryder said, reverting to his native slang, rolling his eyes from knowing full well that West would never admit to any sexual activities. Ever the gentleman, he'd picked up on a habit of keeping certain things behind closed doors.

Hell, maybe West Tyson was still a virgin. Ryder snickered again. It would certainly explain a lot. Like the fact that he was so silent and shy around girls.

"No. I wouldn't tell you even if I did," West gave a canine smile. "But I think Blake van Buren and our lovely head bitch were about to get it on by the way they were sucking face with each other yesterday."

Ryder's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Blake and Jade? Since when? Was that some kind of indication of truce on Jade's part? "You don't say," Ryder mused, a great ball of warmth blazing in him. A happy feeling was leaping around in his stomach. In his mind, his gears were fast at work, processing this new information. If he could blackmail Jade the way she was blackmailing him, then she would have to tell him about Kate, and he wouldn't have to hurt Chase. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," West nodded affirmatively, looking very pleased with himself. "I followed her out of the cafeteria to ask her why Arielle was crying, and I found something much more interesting happening."

Music to Ryder's ears.

"Genius," he breathed happily. In his mind, he could see endless roads paved with gold splayed in front of him. His future was bright again. No more threats from Jade Lewallen. For once in his life, he would be the one in control.

His days of servitude were over.

Then, a picture of Jade's cold, burning eyes suddenly threw itself into Ryder's mind, and Ryder felt his former cheer fade away slowly.

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. This was Jade Lewallen he was talking about. The girl who never bloody gave up. He was sure she'd find some new way to torture him tenfold.

And just like that, he began to despair again. There was no getting around the fact that he would have to take a different approach. Now that his old memories of Kate had been ignited, it began like an obsession again, snowballing itself, until it was all-consuming. At this point, Ryder would've done anything to see Kate again. If only a certain red-head would be more cooperative, then he could've bloody well been on his way already.

_It's not like I didn't try_, his brain wheedled pathetically. It sounded like he was deliberately lying to himself.

Ryder scowled. So maybe he hadn't really tried to progress their relationship beyond anything but getting through the introductory get-to-know-each-other phase. And even that was hard enough as it was.

This may have been the first time in Ryder's history that he'd had trouble even talking to a girl. Ryder crinkled his eyebrows horrifically as a sudden thought came to mind. Maybe he was losing his appeal. Maybe he really wasn't as good-looking as his mirror assured him every day.

Shit, he was only sixteen, and his shagging days could almost be over.

Just to make sure he was still okay, he quickly caught the eye of Shear Wassel and flashed her his patented, trademark up-turned smile. She quickly dropped her eyes and blushed.

Blowing out a relieved sigh, Ryder took this as an affirmative that his masculinity wasn't the problem here. Chase van Buren just simply had other tastes. Different ones.

Well, then, he was just going to have to try harder. Competition was built in him, after years of soccer tournaments. He would just consider the conquest of Chase as a first place trophy, never mind that he'd be taking one of the most important things from her.

Trust Jade to saddle him with something that would make him regret it for the rest of his life.

Unless, Ryder's train of thought slowly picked up, musing this way and that, as Ryder considered something. Unless, Arielle could be of some help to him. After all, a girl who slept, pissed, and nursed hangovers next to Jade Lewallen had to know her pretty intimately. And if what West said was true, Arielle would want to help avenge herself against her sister.

Pleased at his pragmatic approach towards his Problem and feeling buoyed by his own smart thinking, Ryder quickly fired Arielle a text, asking whether or not she could meet him after school in the front courtyard. Alone.

Fortunately for him, she responded with an affirmative, and Ryder found her after school in the courtyard, as promised.

Trudging down the school steps, he saw her tell-tale blond curls before she saw him. Surrounded by poplar trees and strings of ivy crawling gracefully up the stone walls, Arielle looked like a tiny woodland fairy.

Albeit a very good-looking fairy, who also happened to be Ryder's best friend, making her off limits to him.

Well, you can't have everything in life, Ryder decided, walking towards Arielle, lazy grin etched on his aristocratic features.

"You don't look like someone who has something urgent to say to me," Arielle commented nonchalantly, taking in the way Ryder's sandy brown head had been teased to look perfectly content and at ease.

"Oh, it's very important." Ryder said confidently, tossing his binder to the ground and sitting down next to Arielle on a marble bench. "And it's supposed to be a secret, so no blabbing to Jade." Ryder raised his eyebrows and flashed her a warning look in his eye.

Arielle's expression immediately turned sour. "Of course," she tossed haughtily, probably still remembering whatever incident that had made her tear up yesterday.

"I mean, I know you guys are close sisters and all, but Jade has something that I need. And she's blackmailing it against me," Ryder confided in Arielle, knowing that the situation was probably already all too familiar to the blonde. "So, you see, not only do you have to keep this quiet, but also, as her sister, you're the only one that can help me."

Arielle shook her hair behind her thoughtfully. If it had been any other day, Ryder wouldn't have bothered to ask, knowing that Arielle would stick by her twin no matter what. But knowing that Arielle herself was angered by Jade's mistreatment towards her, Ryder decided that the chances were good enough that he would bet on it.

"What kind of thing are we talking about?' Arielle finally asked, chewing her bottom lip slightly.

"A we-work-together-to-get-information kind of thing," Ryder informed her. "It's very simple. Since you know Jade so well, all you would have to do would be to just sneak into her room and get what we need. You get your revenge, I get what I want. Everything works out beautifully."

Arielle chewed on her lower lip, worrying it this way and that before deigning to look up again. "Fine. On one condition: you tell me what's going on with you that's making you so desperate."

Ryder rubbed the bridge of his nose with his right palm and looked at Arielle questioningly. "Why would you want to know that? It's a little personal to me."

"Well, I'm tired of always being left out on everybody's dirty little secrets," Arielle huffed angrily, tugging at her hair scornfully and accidentally ensnaring some of her blond locks in the branches overhead. "What makes Jade so much more trustworthy than me, anyway? After all, I can keep a secret much better than her. Now, are you going to tell me or not?"

Ryder took a pause to look at his friend carefully. "You're sure you can help me," he stated with a sense of finality in his words.

"It's a hell lot of a better shot than you would have without me," Arielle retorted back at him, carefully wording the words so that she wasn't promising anything too drastic.

Ryder considered the fact that it really couldn't "Fine. There was a girl named Kate a few years back. Remember her?" Ryder said in an conceding tone, knowing that there was no way he could get himself out of this fix. Not unless he wanted to let this opportunity slip by and go back to being Jade's advocate.

"Kate," Arielle said slowly, as if she were savoring the word on the tip of her tongue. "Kate Solemnity? Willowy girl. Blonde hair. Green Eyes?"

"Yeah, that's her alright," Ryder said shortly, feeling a constriction in the middle of his chest every single time he thought about the way her feather soft hair would feel in his hands and the way her green eyes would glow with happiness.

"We dated for a while, and I accidentally knocked her up one day. Her parents kind of freaked out—her dad's some kind of high society business man--, said something about her ruining the family name, and basically ended up shipping her off to boarding school all the way on the East coast."

Arielle sat silently for a minute, making the silence in the air even more prominent. That was one thing that was good about her. She didn't try to press for the more sordid details or turn it against him, as Jade had done. Arielle just sat there, soaking it all in without a harsh word of judgment. Finally, after a long pause, she spoke up, "So, Jade has an appointment today afternoon and she won't be home for a good couple of hours. If you want to find something, it'll have to be today."

Ryder nodded in relief, knowing that Arielle's silence meant that she was at least able to look past the fact that Ryder had gotten his girlfriend impregnated. "We can take my car," he offered, feeling a rush of gratitude that he'd already completed his week's worth of detentions this morning. Conveniently, Duke and West would be held at school for an extra hour, leaving Ryder exhilaratingly free from having to make excuses to them.

_I am a genius_, he thought fondly to himself, even though the situation was actually pure coincidence rather than smart planning on his part.

And now, standing in Jade's room and snooping through her stuff only increased his feeling of satisfaction. Given his way, he'd be rifling through her things and dumping them out like crazy, but Arielle warned him that Jade would chop off both their heads if she knew what they were doing.

So, Jade's stuff remained intact for the time being.

Arielle looked at Ryder tear around her sister's room. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"An address. Now, where would she keep something like an address?" Ryder answered absentmindedly, gently opening a dresser drawer and then closing it once he realized the only thing inside was lingerie. "Some kind of address book?"

"Nah." Arielle shook her head, so that her curls bounced against her shoulder. "She just remembers it. It's her special ability or something. She has a photographic memory. That's why she does so well in school. She doesn't need to study at all."

It took a moment to sink in to Ryder's floating mind. Then, "Oh, bloody hell." Ryder cursed and slammed closed another dresser drawer so hard that a picture frame toppled down. It was one thing to be going through Jade's stuff, trying to find that unknown address. It was another thing if it was inside her head. They couldn't exactly crack Jade's head open and take a look inside.

_Why am I always returning back to square one_, Ryder thought, frustrated.

"What address are you looking for?" Arielle came over to where Ryder had sunken down onto the carpet in defeat. The momentary high he'd gotten from the plan was now gone.

"The one to her mental institution. It's supposed to be hidden or something and non Google-able." Ryder said, his shoulders slightly hunched over, looking for all the world that he was another depressed teenager.

"Do you know her family address?" Arielle suggested, furrowing her eyebrows in pure concentration at her friend's predicament.

"The Solemnities aren't traceable by the public," Ryder said, feeling more and more dejected. He felt as if he'd been driving at a hundred miles per hour and had just reached an impasse at the end of the road.

At least it wasn't straight off the cliff. Not that knowing that made the world seem brighter in any way.

Arielle's face, which had previously been contorted, suddenly brightened up considerably. "You know, Jade may have a photographic memory, but my father doesn't. And I'm sure, he knows everything about everyone. I'm sure there's something we could dig up in his office," she murmured, looking at Ryder thoughtfully.

"And you could get us in?" Ryder asked skeptically, knowing that Arielle may not have as easy an access to Mark Lewallen's private files as she did to her sister's room.

Arielle nodded affirmatively. "I know where he keeps the key." A wry smile crossed her face, "Do me a favor and don't tell Jade, though. She wouldn't be able to stand the thought of me having something she didn't."

"If you can help me find this, I'll help you with a hundred favors," Ryder promised earnestly, hope rekindling itself in his heart. It was almost too good to be true. And yet, if it all worked out, he would be one free jailbird. The thought nearly had him skipping again, as Arielle led him downstairs and slid the key into the keyhole to her father's study.

A sudden thought struck him. Even if he could obtain the Solemnity resident address, he would have a hell of a hard time convincing the Solemnities to let him visit Kate. After all, the last time they met had not gone over as well as he would've liked.

They had, after all, promptly called school security to take him off of campus. Not only that, they had also threatened him with a restraining order in case he got too close. Needless to say, Ryder had gotten the warning quite clearly.

He shook his head. First he would see if he could even salvage that chance. And then, he would figure out what to do and how to take care of the next hurdle.

"Here we are," Arielle said, pushing back the heavy door. "My father's pretty organized, so he probably has them all catalogued somewhere in his many drawers." She nodded her chin towards the general working space of the room.

Having never been inside the infamous Mark Lewallen's study, Ryder took this time to memorize it carefully and explore.

It was easily big enough for more than just a study. It had its own leather couch, which had been pushed against the east side of the wall. Not only that, but the office was stocked with its own mini-refrigerator and contained three computers instead of one.

The desk was in the shape of an "L", and was intricately designed from the finest darkened oak to fit many drawers, which would in turn fit many files.

In short, he was going to be spending more time in this place than he'd originally thought.

Walking over to the desk, he slid open the top drawer with ease, and peered inside. It was, as Arielle had said, organized neatly into little divisions of daily office supplies.

Closing the first one, he pulled open the second one. Current Legal Documents.

Then, contracts.

Press conference details and Publicity gigs.

More papers.

Ryder was ready to slam the last one shut in frustration, when he noticed something odd sticking out of the neat stacks. Reaching towards the back, Ryder grasped on it and pulled it free.

It was a picture. And on it, was a younger version of Mark Lewallen himself. He was wearing a tuxedo and standing next to a woman who was clearly Jade and Arielle's mother.

While his date was smiling radiantly at the camera, his eyes were glazed over and he looked too stiff for someone to match the on-cloud-nine girl next to him. At first glance, Mark looked bored. Looking more carefully, though, Ryder saw something else.

His eyes were staring into the distance, with something that could only be described as want and longing. Ryder would know. He'd done the same thing again and again.

For the first time ever, Ryder felt a sense of connection with Arielle's father, someone who had also clearly felt the overwhelming longing for something he couldn't have.

"I think I found something," Arielle called from the other side of the room, oblivious to what Ryder had just discovered. He quickly shoved the picture back where it belonged, and then walked over to Arielle.

"These are his files," Arielle murmured, thumbing through meticulously labeled manila folders. "Burnett, Lisle, McLaughlin, Prewitt…Found it. Solemnity." Arielle pulled the file out triumphantly and waved it in the air, manila folder and all. Ryder could even see the neat, square blocking of Mark Lewallen's characters.

"Nice," he commented offhandedly, taking the manila folder from her. "Wonder why they'd need a lawyer…"

Behind him, Ryder felt Arielle come stand next to him, peering curiously at the bundle of information Ryder had in his hands. "Oh yes," Ryder smirked at how ironic it was that he'd just been thinking about this five minutes prior. "I guess they were pretty serious about filing charges against me, after all. They even got a lawyer as back-up and everything…"

Arielle shrugged, moving her shoulders up and down. "My father takes on the weirdest cases. I'm not so surprised that he would be motivated by the obscene amount of money they offered him."

"How very fortunate for me," Ryder said, tracing the customer information sheet with the tip of his right index finger. It paused at the address of the Solemnities.

1151 Reginald Lane. He repeated it over and over in his head, as he used his cell phone and programmed the rest of the less-pertinent information into his contacts.

Once every last single letter and number was safely saved inside his cell phone, Ryder felt a sense of power rush through him. For now, he had the playing cards in his hands. And now, all he had to do was to come up with something to make him sound polite and sincere and he'd be on his way to see Kate this weekend.

Time for next step.

"Well, it has been a pleasure doing business with you," he told Arielle, sticking out his hand, "Feel free to text me if you need help with anything. Until then, I'm off to put this information to good use."

"Wait a minute. Take me," Arielle jutted in, looking at him over the tops of her thick, coal-black lashes. "You're obviously going to need help with this thing. And I really have nothing else to do for the rest of the afternoon…" Arielle trailed off, and studied her fingernails, as if embarrassed to admit that she had no better plans than running around with Ryder, trying to set his love life in the right place.

"That's really not a good idea," Ryder said under his breath, not sure how to best tell her no. The idea of placing someone like Arielle against Mrs. Solemnity made the whole situation seem absurd.

"Why not?" Arielle paced in her father's study, "My social standing is higher than hers. If Kate's parents are as gun-ho about reputation and whatnot, you'd have a better chance of getting in with me than without. Besides, I know something that can almost guarantee that they'll talk."

She waved around some papers from the Solemnity File. "They owe my father some debt or another. I can use it to get them to see us, but you can't, so it's really in your best interest to have me along."

Ryder carefully considered her logic, and was disgruntled to find that he could really find no fault with it. There really wasn't anything in place to stop the Solemnities from dragging his body off to a convenient spot in the woods, after he'd banged up their daughter and gotten her pregnant.

"Fine, you can come," Ryder said in an almost snappish tone, not pleased that he had to concede. Maybe just a little part of him had hoped that Kate would've been pulled from that mental institution and was sitting at 1151 Reginald Lane, waiting to be picked up and rescued by Ryder.

The ride was silent, as both of them contemplated their respective issues. Ryder looked at a buoyant Arielle, sitting next to him in his car. He sighed, as he quickly rounded the bend and pulled up to the third house—if you could even call it that-- on his left. He got out of the car, and took in the monstrosity of an edifice.

It was obviously built to show off money in the most ostentatious way possible. The arches were carved from pearly marble, all the doors had been ornately designed to reflect a common theme of angels, and even the windows had been carefully mapped with a type of glass that made the whole house glitter. Outside, a Bentley was parked conspicuously, as if the owner had decided to show it off to the whole entire suburban neighborhood.

He heard Arielle breathe in beside him and saw her smile softly at him, patting him once on the arm to reassure him. The two of them parked his car a little down the street, and then proceeded to make their way down the mile-long driveway.

Ryder wrinkled his nose at the disgusting smell of way too many flowers. Mr. and Mrs. Solemnity really had no class when it came down to these things. Obviously, more is not less. More is just more. And it was giving Ryder a headache.

He stared at the raised head of an angel at the top of the doorway, both relieved that they'd made it and terrified, and felt as if it were mocking him. Glaring at the unmoving face, he unwillingly turned to face the front door, ringing the doorbell twice.

The door opened, and a maid stood in the way, a feather duster still in hand, and a cool, neutral expression on her face.

Even the staff was pompous. Figures. Ryder scowled at the thought of this girl in front of him getting all uppity.

"We're here to see Mr. and Mrs. Solemnity," Arielle said beside him, her tone rivaling the maid's facial expression. Ryder supposed that living with Jade for sixteen years had to have been useful somehow. "There's something of utmost importance that we would like to discuss with them."

"Name?" The girl asked, stepping back, and allowing them into the foyer.

"Arielle Lewallen," Arielle said, walking in and taking a mild glance at her surroundings. She sat down on the nearest seat, primly tucking in her knees as she sat down on the couch. "My associate's name is of no real importance. I'm here to represent him in all further dealings."

Ryder would've teased Arielle about how formal she sounded, but decided against that, seeing as her assistance was the only thing keeping him in the house at the moment.

His eyes darted around, and was surprised to find a few pictures of Kate still lying around the house. He'd have thought that the Solemnities would've burned it all when Kate got sent away, but he was clearly wrong.

Ryder took in each one. There was one of Kate as a baby, one of Kate in the pool with a boy that looked her age, Kate at ten years old, Kate and that blurry boy again in school, and one of Kate's freshmen year picture.

This was the one that Ryder studied the hardest. It seemed so surreal, to see Kate shyly smiling at the camera, like she didn't know that in a few months, she was about to get sent away to the other side of the country.

The maid returned now, and broke Ryder's thoughts. "Mr. and Mrs. Solemnity will now see you."

"Thank you," Arielle rose, and Ryder did the same. The uppity maid led the two of them down the twisting hallways and right against a black door.

Without further ado, Arielle twisted the knob and gently entered the room, motioning that Ryder should only enter when she fetched him.

Glumly, Ryder propped his back against the wall to the office, and tried to listen to what was going on, but the walls were too thick. After struggling and holding his breath for a good few minutes, he just gave up altogether, knowing that he'd brief Arielle about it later anyway.

Five minutes later, Arielle reached outside the office door, and motioned for him to come inside.

Ryder entered cautiously, not completely knowing what to expect.

As soon as the Solemnities saw him, the two both jumped up simultaneously.

"This is the person you brought to see us?" Mr. Solemnity hissed, his face was quickly turning all sorts of interesting shades by now. Now, he advanced slightly towards Ryder. "How dare you invade my home," he growled at Ryder.

Arielle hurriedly cleared her throat, so that everyone directed their attention on her again. "Mr. and Mrs. Solemnity, remember that I only ask for five to ten minutes of your cooperation time, in return of that favor my father did for you two years ago," Arielle reminded them patiently, smoothing the front of her shirt down.

"This boy is the reason why my daughter is no longer here," Mrs. Solemnity shrieked, pointing a blood-red nail at Ryder accusingly, her eyes burning with untold hate.

"Mrs. Solemnity, you're the one who sent her away to boarding school when she needed her friends' support the most!" Ryder yelled, no longer able to contain himself in the heat of the fury that was rolling through his body. How dare this woman try accusing of wrongdoing. He'd spent the last two years of his life pining after the daughter that Melinda Solemnity had sent away, just because of the shame it would bring the family. If anyone should be complaining, it should be him.

Ryder glared at her defiantly, anticipating a great shouting match in the process. Strangely enough, Mrs. Solemnity burst into furious, and rushed out from the room. Ryder stared after her in shock; he didn't think his words had been mean enough to reduce anyone to tears. Was it possible that she was feeling remorse for what she'd done?

"Look, Mr. Solemnity, we're sorry about offending your wife. If you could only just give us the address to Kate's current residence so her friends could visit her, we'll be on our way." Arielle slid in, trying to smooth over the little outbreak Mrs. Solemnity had just shown.

"I'm sorry Ms. Lewallen," Mr. Solemnity sneered coldly, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why?" Arielle said in an impatient, strangled tone. She'd tried being patient, and it was obviously not working, the way Jade's intimidation did. "You do remember that favor my father was doing for you when he helped keep your secret. Or have you forgotten already?"

"Ms. Lewallen, while I do respect you and your father a great deal, I will simply not tolerate this boy in my home." Mr. Solemnity sneered contemptuously, the intensity of his raw hatred flowing through his body and emanating itself all around the room.

"Mr. Solemnity, I'm afraid I don't understand. I just need one simple address, and we'll leave." Arielle said desperately. It wasn't so much about getting the address anymore. For once, she wanted to do something right.

"You want her address? Fine." Mr. Solemnity ripped a piece of paper off the pad of his notebook and wrote something on it. He handed it to her, and got up.

Arielle stared at it for the longest time. Then, she raised her head. Ryder's face had gone pale and he croaked, "Beverly Hills City Cemetery?"

"This isn't real." He murmured to himself, dropping his head into his hands. Ryder could feel the blood rushing to his head as the room spun itself around and around…

"It's been real for five months," Mr. Solemnity tried to sneer again, but a part of his voice caught in his throat. Apparently the bastard did care for Kate on some level. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Leave."

Arielle stood up, her hand resting gently on Ryder's lower back, as if she were afraid that he would collapse without his support. "Come on, Ryder. Let's go."

Ryder raised his head. Arielle took in the crazed look in his eyes and nearly stumbled back. It was so unlike Ryder to be anything but happy and content. She wondered how long had it taken it for him to perfect that so he could hide his emotions from the rest of the world. "I don't believe you," Ryder snarled at Mr. Solemnity, who involuntarily flinched a little at one look of Ryder's murderous face. "Just exactly how did she die?"

If he'd been temporarily scared of Ryder before, Mr. Solemnity quickly recovered at the sound of his question. "Funny you should mention that. She died from committing suicide in the name of your great love. They found her at the bottom of the resident lake."

Mr. Solemnity's eyes were now hard and glassy as he swept by the two. "Ms. Lewallen, get Bridgett to show you to the door, please." He ushered Arielle out, without a further glance at Ryder. When she took one last look behind her, she saw him swipe a brandy from his cabinet, and lock the door behind them.

"Ryder, it'll be okay. Come on," Arielle assured him softly, knowing that there wasn't much else she could do. It had been that way for her when they told her that her mother was never going to wake up from her coma again. It had been that silent, inherent need to just scream and cry until the pain faded to a slow, constant throb.

"It's never going to be okay," Ryder said in a tiny, broken voice.

Arielle squeezed his shoulder gently, and guided him along. When they got to his car, he allowed Arielle to lead him to the car and to take control of the wheel while he stared out his side of the window and mourned for the girl who he would never see come home again.

A/N: This chapter was hard for me to get through, just because I knew what I wanted and didn't know how to get there. So, hopefully, the next chapter should be up a lot sooner. Maybe tomorrow night if I can really get my ass into gear. There are exactly four more full length chapters, a short concluding chapter, and an epilogue. Again, please read and review! I would help me so much, and thanks again to everyone who has read and/or reviewed so far!


	16. Chapter 16

Family Dinner

Jade Lewallen stood nervously at the steps of the Bellaire Hotel. She really had no reason to be nervous. After all, she'd been up against scarier things before. Like the Van Buren situation, for example. Now, that was a tiring and convoluted problem if she ever saw one. Meeting with Sienna should be a piece of cake.

Feeling more confident, Jade squared her shoulders and forced one strappy sandaled foot to start walking. She jostled past some of the hotel's residents while walking up the stairs, and reached a perfectly manicured hand to grasp the gleaming handle.

Sienna wasn't even that intimidating, Jade thought, discreetly wiping the palms of her hands on the back of her velvet shorts. The only reason why Jade was even here was because she was interested in forming a mutual relationship. Sienna would provide her with some answers and Jade would help Sienna find the justice she needed, or whatever that bull was.

Jade marched right up to the receptionist, cutting right through the entire line of early vacationers. A few of them glared at her obvious impertinence; Jade sneered back, making sure to look each and every last one of them in the eye threateningly until they looked away in discomfort. "My name is Jade Lewallen, and I'm here to see a Sienna Robespierre."

"Ah, yes Ms. Lewallen," the receptionist returned pleasantly, no doubt knowing the necessary respect that came with being a Lewallen. "Ms. Robespierre is expecting you in Room 1628."

Jade nodded curtly, and strode away, her Coach bag swinging at ease by her side. She stepped into the elevator, in all its polished gold and mirrors, and checked her cell phone. Five minutes late. Not too late to be rude, and not too early for Sienna to know how Jade had tossed and turned the night before.

Jade sighed silently to herself, hearing it magnified in the empty space of the elevator. She'd meant to ask Arielle just how in the world she and Sienna had known each other—because there was no doubt that Sienna had already been acquainted with Arielle for quite some time—but, Jade had been too pissed at Arielle after what happened yesterday lunch in the hallways and had been giving Arielle the cold shoulder ever since.

She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Jade knew she really had no right at all to be made at her sister. After all, Arielle hadn't been doing anything with Blake except talking. And laughing. And touching. But then again, Jade was the one who lost her mind in a five second span and decided to make out with Blake van Buren.

She passed the tip of her hand to her lips self-consciously, an immediate reaction. It was still hard to believe how low she'd sunk. He was a Van Buren, for goodness sake. Not to mention that she still had Duke.

Jade sighed again and passed a hand through her short hair. Lately, she hadn't been able to dedicate any time towards her boyfriend. Given the fact that she was this close to losing it these days, it'd been hard to have much of a rendezvous with anyone.

Maybe it was time to move on. Duke had so much fire in him when they'd first started dating. Now, he just took whatever Jade threw at him, and went along with it. It was almost as if he'd given up trying to even make an effort with her. Somewhere along the way, Duke had lost himself and had become a mere extension to Jade's self.

It made Jade question just exactly when she'd become this way. Somewhere along the way, something had changed. She desperately wanted to believe that there was a part of her that didn't kiss Blake van Buren just because she was scared that Arielle would one day wake up and find that she as no longer obligated to love Jade. That a part of her hadn't felt such a obsessive need to crush everyone that could be crushed and molded to her will.

But she was the way she was. And maybe that was why Jade was truly here. To find out from Sienna if at sometime, something had happened that made Jade damaged in a way.

The elevator doors slid open, and Jade stepped out, following the tiny brass plaque that pointed room 1628 down to the right. Jade followed the numbers, checking it carefully, before arriving at the last door. The suites.

It was only fitting, Jade thought, as she rapped the door expertly. Any less and it would've been disappointing for someone related to her.

Sienna opened the door, dressed in a toga dress, and glanced at Jade. "You came," she said smugly, gesturing for Jade to follow her inside. Jade examined it critically. It was a nice enough room, she supposed. Not too tastelessly showy, not too washed out. Clearly old money.

Turning back to her supposed aunt, Jade crisply smoothed the top of her hair over once, making sure it maintained the shape Jade had spent ten minutes using Fekkai spray to hold. "I came solely to get information," Jade rejoined, sitting down in the living room couch.

"Of course," Sienna inclined her head thoughtfully, moving into the kitchen and coming back with a cup of jasmine tea for the two of them. She frowned at a sudden thought, "Even though, as your aunt, we should be doing this the proper way of introducing ourselves, and not throwing ourselves straight into buisness. I don't know you half as well as I know Arielle."

"Speaking of which," Jade put her cup down on the table for a second. "how exactly do you know Arielle? I would've thought it was impossible, seeing as she's almost always with me."

Sienna shrugged. "She always comes to Manhattan every summer for three weeks. I don't know why you haven't noticed."

Jade picked up her cup again, eager to have something to do with her hands. Every summer for three weeks? Since when?

Then, it hit her. Of course. Arielle's annual summer camp for three weeks. Jade had never bothered to ask her much about it, wondering how anyone could stomach nature and the wilderness for more than an hour at a time. But then again, Arielle probably made up nature camp to keep Jade off her back.

Knowing this, Jade couldn't help but feel a little hurt. She felt as if another thread in their trust relationship had just been cut off. How could Arielle participate in something like this for the past six years and not bother telling Jade about it? "I can't believe she didn't invite me along," Jade gave an injured sniff, looking like an offended kitten.

Sienna gave Jade a long look. "Well, it was part of the agreement," she finally said, breaking the monotonous silence.

"What?" Jade nearly growled in frustration. Didn't Sienna know better than to tell her about all this jumbled nonsense that she had no recollection of whatsoever?

"Well, I'm not sure what the agreement was, just that Arielle—and _only_ Arielle—could be granted a three weeks visit to New York every summer," Sienna paused for a second. "I don't know what else there was in that contract, but I'll bet that you're father has it with him."

Jade completely bypassed the last part, nearly bolting out of her seat in rage. "Why Arielle, and only Arielle? Am I not good enough for even my mother?" Jade demanded, looking like she was close to losing it, even though previously she'd shown no real desire to connect with her lost mother in any way.

"Well, think, Jade," Sienna demanded over Jade's indignant fury. "If your father was keeping something dark and secretive from you, would he bother sending you to the place where you'd be most likely to regain your memory?"

"Oh, please." Jade scoffed. "Are we back to this again? You keep telling me that my father's hiding something. So, tell me. What exactly is his big, dirty secret?"

There was a small silence as Sienna gathered her thoughts. Then, she nearly exploded. "That's just it. I know he has a motive, I just haven't figured it out yet," Sienna gripped at her own hair in frustration. "That's why I need your help."

Jade's eyes narrowed. "Then, you better start from the very beginning, and tell me everything you know."

She smiled sweetly, "You can even consider it your part of the exchange."

"But—" Sienna argued, before Jade cut her off with a swift look.

"It's that or nothing. Take it or leave it," Jade snapped impatiently. If they were going to be having this conversation, it would be on her terms and under her control.

Sienna wet her lips in an annoyed fashion. Having obviously decided that she needed Jade's help more than she cared to admit, a furrow appeared between her two eyebrows, as if she were contemplating where to start. "Your mother and I were the best of friends." Sienna said, having found a place to start the chronology. "She was four years older than me, but we always got along, ever since James got booted from the family."

"James?" Jade interrupted, feeling very annoyed. How was she supposed to keep up when Sienna introduced new people every other sentence?

"He was the oldest. My parents and him had a disagreement and he basically left us. But that's not important," Sienna waved a hand in the air, eager to get to the core parts.

"What's important was that your mother was the perfect child. Pretty, popular, smart enough, nice enough. And then your father came along," here, Sienna paused to give a deep scowl, as if the very thought repulsed her, "and he was the player. By the time he was graduated from high school, he'd just about made his way around to practically every available girl in the school."

Jade snorted uncharacteristically. That sounded just like her father. Apparently, old habits never truly die.

"Somehow, along the way, Astoria fancied herself to be in love with him. And he, bastard that he is, never did anything to persuade her otherwise. And in the end, do you know why he married her?" Sienna asked bitterly.

Jade had a feeling it certainly wasn't because he loved her, from the tone in Sienna's voice. "He wanted revenge?" Jade took a wild guess, pin-pointing it as accurately as she could to her own present life. Not that she would ever marry, say, Blake out of spite against the van Buren family or anything.

"No. He needed money for college and law school. Even he was smart enough to know that—scholarship student that he was—there was no way he could ever pay for Harvard. So he married Astoria. Blinded at that time, she was convinced that he loved her while he basically chipped away at our family fortune," Sienna's fist closed and clenched together, as if just retelling the story made her want to strangle the nearest object.

"Of course, I was the only one who saw him for who he really was. I warned Astoria, over and over, that there would be nothing for her but heartache. I was sure that once he graduated, got a job, and didn't need her anymore, he would divorce her."

"Yet, they didn't," Jade pointed out, trying to salvage what little remained of Mark's reputation. Strangely enough, she wasn't as angry this time around, hearing Sienna basically pouring out words of blasphemy at every turn.

"Oh, I'm sure he was going to. And then, they found out she was pregnant. And that got him into a tight, little fix. How would it look for his newly budding reputation if he chose to desert his wife while she was pregnant with his daughters?"

"So, he stayed with her. But I always had the feeling that he was looking for a way out of his sham of a marriage. He obviously didn't love her, and she could only be in the way to his success, after he got what he needed."

"Yeah, but I can't see how this fits in. I've been frustrated before, and I've learned how to get over it," Jade scoffed, slapping her hand in the air.

"Oh, believe me, it can fester itself for a long time. And by the time you and Arielle were ten, I think he'd had enough." Sienna stood up now, pacing the room. "I mean, don't you think it's suspicious?"

Jade shook her head furiously, so that it all looked like a blur. "I know what you're trying to imply. You think that my father killed Astoria. Well, no one's that psycho. My father may not be the cuddliest person in the world, but he would never do something like that. What's more to say, he's a lawyer. He would know about the consequences of murder more than anyone else."

"Not if he didn't think he'd get caught," Sienna interjected, looking satisfied, like she'd just provided some crucial viewpoint. "I mean, one day he loses control and decides to do something about it. And clearly, if the two of you got into a hit-and-run car accident, it couldn't be traced back to him. And then, you wake up instead of dying, and he probably panics for five seconds before he realizes that you lost your memory. So, he sells the house, and keeps your new life devoid of anything that could trigger your memory, not even allowing you to see your grandparents. Put that all together, and I would say we had a pretty solid case."

"Aren't you missing something?" Jade sneered at the nervously pacing Sienna. "You have absolutely no concrete proof that my father is guilty. A lot of it is just speculation on your part."

Before Sienna could argue the point, Jade sliced the air with her index finger, indicating that she wasn't finished yet. "Let me tell you what I think happened. It's much more plausible. I think that maybe she—or we—just got into a car accident by some random douche bag, who ran off so he or she wouldn't have to go to jail. And then, because I was filled with trauma and emotion, my father tried to protect me from having to go through that car crash experience, and told people not to trigger my memory. Then, maybe because I look like my mom so much, he can't bear to look at me, because their marriage wasn't a sham and he really did love her." Jade paused to let her words sink in. "I think that's much more likely, than that cock-and-bull story you cooked up to lie to me."

Sienna folded her arms, staring at Jade crossly. Jade knew that Sienna was pissed that she had no concrete proof. She sneered on the inside. Sienna was going to really have to pull something magically out of thin air if she wanted Jade's help.

"How do you explain the fact that nobody ever went to court to be tried for the accident?" Sienna loomed in front of Jade, staring her down with those perturbing blue eyes. "If someone I loved got hit by some random driver, I'd want justice. Maybe some people can let it go, but knowing the son of a bitch lawyer your father is, I doubt he'd just let something like this go. And do you know what's even more weird? He managed to get my parents—my Astoria-loving, worshipping parents—to keep all of this silent. And then, a month after this blows over, he immediately disappears and moves away into a new neighborhood. Now, tell me. How do you explain that?" Sienna's voice was quiet with malice and hatred. It was obvious that she was so far gone that there was nothing that could convince her otherwise.

Jade looked away from Sienna's demanding eyes, finding that they told no lies. And no matter how much she didn't want to believe it, there was some ring of truth in what Sienna had said. Too many things added up it would be stupid of Jade not to see it. And Jade Lewallen was not stupid.

She breathed a deep sigh of regret. Well, at least she'd tried so hard to defend and trust her father. But when it came time for judgment day, she would not be the one to hide his sins anymore. By now, it was obvious to her that he was hiding something. And, she was going to use every bit of her cunning to get it out of him.

Her father had decided to play her as a fool and she was going to make sure that this was one of the biggest mistakes that he ever made.

"So, what do you need from me?" Jade stood up, slowly leveling herself to Sienna's level. The two of them were about the same height, and Jade took in Sienna's hard expression. The pain and need for vengeance etched in her face said it all.

"I need you to recover those memories," Sienna's hand grasped Jade in her moment of intense need to express herself. Jade almost recoiled. Even if this was her long lost aunt, it was the first time they'd had skin to skin contact, and she wasn't ready for that.

"I'm not sure. Don't you think it would've triggered somewhere in the six year span. I have a feeling that if I haven't remembered anything yet, I'm not going to remember anything now," Jade firmly pulled her own hand back and wiped it surreptitiously on her shirt.

"You have to. It's the only way I can help her," Sienna muttered under her breath, pacing back and forth. "I know you can do it. You just haven't been served with anything that can bring your memory back yet. Now, if we were to uncover something like old pictures, or toys, or something like that…"

"Look," Jade jutted into Sienna's wayward thoughts. "I really do want to help. Not for your sake, but for mine. We're talking about ten years of blurred images here. But, what makes you think that any of me memories will help with anything? I could end up remembering birthdays and Christmases, and I don't see how that's going to help us."

"Well, he's hiding something. If he hasn't tried to get you to remember, he obviously has something he doesn't want you to know. If we could only access that, we could use it to hurt him..." Sienna's voice trailed off again, as a look of viciousness overcame her pretty features.

An uncomfortable rolling was festering itself in Jade's stomach upon seeing Sienna's spaced out and vacant expression. There was an almost psychotic look on Sienna's face that Jade didn't like. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone, just in case she needed to dial an emergency number when Sienna lost it.

"I'm sorry," Jade sighed in mock sympathy, but still gripping her phone. "I really don't remember anything, and I don't think I will. And as much as I'm sorry about your sister's death, doing this won't bring her back from the dead."

Sienna whirled sharply around to face Jade and she gripped her cell phone even tighter than possible, feeling its edges dig itself into her palm. "She's not dead yet, even though she might as well be. There's only so many more years she can take being a human vegetable," Sienna said shortly, and then almost nastily added on, "But I forgot that you don't know anything about that. After all, it's not like you've ever visited us or anything."

Jade's back stiffened when she heard this. "It's not like I had a choice," Jade snapped back, not liking the woman's tone one bit. If anyone had even bothered to inform Jade about what was going on, she would've been able to make her own decisions. So, really, the woman should not be bitching and complaining at all.

"True," Sienna backed off slightly, seeing how angry Jade had become. She sat back down, finally relieving her feet of all the pacing. Sighing, she took Jade's hands in her own again, ignoring Jade's pronounced wince. "Look, Jade. All I need is your cooperation. I think you're entitled to what's rightfully yours. And, I can't do this without you. You're the only one who has the answers to everything. So, what do you say? Do we have an arrangement here?"

Jade stared long and hard at Sienna. She already knew what her answer would be, but it wouldn't hurt to let Sienna sweat it out a bit. Finally, noticing that she was almost late for her father's annoying family Van Buren dinners, she cut to the chase. "Deal, but on one condition."

Sienna took Jade's hand and shook it firmly. "Anything within reason."

Jade looked her in the eye to let Sienna know just how serious she was. "I want to visit your comatose sister."

"Why?" Sienna asked suspiciously.

Jade moved her shoulders up and then down. "No reason. Just wanted to see the person who was brave enough to marry my father," she lied. Truthfully, she'd wanted to get a glimpse at Astoria, and to see if there was a part of Astoria that was in Jade as well.

Sienna sighed and dropped both their hands, placing her own in her lap. "Fair enough. Although you seem to be taking the comatose thing a little bit too well."

Jade shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't know her, so it really makes no difference to me how she is physically. It's like she's just another shadow in the rest of the world.

Sienna smiled a small, sad smile. "I was afraid it'd be that way."

Jade wisely chose to ignore that comment and pulled herself up from the couch, dusting her behind for any lurking bits from the couch. "Well, it's been nice seeing you again. Unfortunately, I need to get going, but I'll be in contact."

Sienna nodded. "Remember, pictures, videos, etc. Use whatever you can find, and we'll talk Sunday."

Jade stopped short outside the front door. That damn reception. "Sorry, I can't. I have an event, so I can't meet up with you. Although," Jade paused, tapping her right index finger thoughtfully against her lower lip. "there's a reception that_ you_ can go to."

"No." Sienna shook her head. "I won't know anybody there." Sienna continued to say, defiantly. She fiddled with her fingers, as if she were trying to rid herself of all the extra energy.

Jade tried not wrinkle her nose. She couldn't stand tiny nervous gestures. To her, it was such an obvious sign of weakness.

Jade drove away her pet peeves and tried to provide some support for Sienna. "Nonsense. You know my father, and Arielle, at the very least." Jade cajoled, using her special voice that almost always worked on getting things out of people. Surprisingly, she could be quite charming when she wanted.

And the more that she thought about this problem, the more she liked it. The idea certainly had potential. Mark Lewallen's ex-wife's sister at his own wedding reception. How fitting that there would be reigning chaos and confusion. Just the way Jade liked it.

When Jade's comment about Mark sunk in, Sienna's eyebrows shot up so high it nearly disappeared behind her bangs. "Your father?" There was no mistaking that same contemptuous tone. Again.

Jade scoffed spitefully, as memories of the van Burens flitting through her head, called forth from the question. She blamed all four of them for her unhappy situation. "Yeah, he's getting remarried to this disgusting woman and her equally disgusting kids."

Sienna eyed her for a second. "I don't know," Sienna said skeptically. "He doesn't like me at all, and I hate him. I'm sure that on his wedding, he'd at least appreciate no fist fights. Besides, it's been way too long for me to just show up like that, uninvited."

When she'd rejected Jade's offer with her shitty excuse, Jade had been ready to burst with anger. Now, Jade's eyes sparkled as she altered the situation and realized for the first time what could be her first step towards revenge.

It may not have been the smartest course, but Jade was in desperate need to bring someone down to step on. "If you haven't seen him in so long, then come home with me and we'll have dinner with my father. He'll be so pleased to see you. I'm sure the two of you will be reacquainted in no time," Jade purred evilly, just imagining Mark's face as she presented his former sister-in-law.

It would truly show him once and for all who was the master. Jade was tired of being treated as his second-rate daughter who was all but invisible to him.

If you can't join them, you might as well beat them senseless with anger.

"I'm sure it would motivate me a great deal," Jade hedged when her aunt didn't answer, knowing that Sienna wanted nothing more than for Jade to make recovering her memories first priority.

Sienna was silent for a moment, and then, she looked up and her eyes were full of mirth. "I'm feeling terribly hungry all of a sudden," Sienna said, letting Jade know that she would partake in Jade's plan, with a wicked smile on her face. The look made her look young and spirited enough to be a teenager again.

Jade caught her aunt's eyes and in them, she found a companion. Someone who understood Jade's mental thought. Someone who was willing to help her. And in that moment, Jade's alliance was truly solidified. "Well, let's see what we can do to satisfy that appetite," Jade pulled her lips back, letting her pearly whites shine in the bright light, as the two of them headed out the door.

People always say that revenge is best served cold. Jade couldn't help but disagree. This time, revenge was going to hot, and Jade would only let her wrath feed it until they were both satisfied.

A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and giving me feedback. I promised that I'd have this chapter up as quick as possible, and I finally have it. Warning: it's not an action chapter, more of a clarification chapter, so no real action happening. Also, if you sent my a PM or reviewed for chapter 15, I have yet to reply. It's three in the morning, so I'll get to those tomorrow, after six hours of sleep.

Okay, enough rant from me and good night! Thanks again everyone, and R/R please. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Don't You Just Love Family Time? **

The dining table was ready. The food was ready. Hell, even Blake was ready and had the decency to be sitting in his seat.

Now, the only thing they needed was for Jade to show up, so they could get on with the daily family dinner. Mark had been impatient to start without his missing daughter, but Hannah had gently reminded him that it was a family event. And as family, they would wait for one another

Which explained why the six of them were sitting there like idiots, trying to force polite conversation and unable to touch the food. Mark's temper seemed nearly ready to explode.

"Arielle, where is your sister?" Mark snapped, tired and frustrated enough that he couldn't even pretend to be civil and regal at the dinner table. Chase caught his eye darting towards the curry chicken way more than he should.

Hearing his question, Arielle met the eyes of her father and raised a waxed eyebrow. She shrugged in response. "I don't know. She said she had something to do today." Arielle lowered her eyes again, and Chase noticed that she was being awfully silent, more so than usual.

"Well, she'd better hurry up, or all the food will be cold. If she doesn't arrive in five minutes, we are going to start without her, regardless of family time," Mark snarled, his knife inclining towards the chicken almost yearningly. In the short span of the time she'd been here, Chase had learned that Mark harbored a secret passion for curry chicken.

"No need to wait any longer," trilled a happy voice, as the doors were thrown open and Jade stepped in. She was beaming brightly, and seemed to have no regard for the fact that everybody had been waiting for her for the past twenty minutes.

Six hostile glares met her eyes, conveying their obvious displeasure at her lateness and lack of apology. She ignored all of them and pulled her chair out to sit, still smiling happily.

"Where were you?" Mark asked angrily, unable to stand Jade's chipper tone anymore, while nearly diving for the curry chicken in a flash of knives and forks.

"Oh, yes," Jade said, while delicately feeding herself some spicy fish. The course theme tonight was Thai food, one of the family favorites, and it did nothing to diminish Jade's happiness. "I was meeting with an acquaintance, a friend if you will. She says she knows you quite well, actually, and we spent quite a bit of time talking about you." She smiled, politely keeping her mouth closed as she chewed.

When she was met with Mark's stony silence, she plunged on. "I never knew you could be so interesting, Dad, in your early years."

At this, Mark raised his eyes quickly and coolly inquired, "Oh? Is that so? And who did you say was this friend of yours again?"

Jade smiled almost feral-like to herself, something not missed by Blake and Arielle. Blake eyed her out of the corner of his eye, knowing that an emotional bombshell was about to blow, if Jade's disposition was interpreted correctly.

"Sienna Robespierre," Jade announced, still blithely spooning food into her mouth. Except this time, her eyes never left her father, and she saw him pale noticeably. "She was so charming, I almost felt like we were practically _family_."

There was no mistaking the sadistic pleasure in Jade's words as she took in her father's face, which was quickly turning an ashen gray. Across from him, Blake saw Arielle's face changing into a similar shade. "Jade, that's enough," Mark managed to gutter out.

Jade's smile widened even more. "Wait, you haven't even heard the best part yet." Now there was no mistaking her thinly veiled threat, "Since she turned out to be family in the end—and this is a _family_ dinner, after all—I took the liberty of inviting her to join us. After all, you've been such a caring father lately, I really want to show you what's going on in my life, _Daddy_."

The tone of endearment was obviously meant to be sarcastic, but Blake doubted Mark noticed as he nearly fainted. It would've been amusing to see a grown, dignified, upstart man like Mark Lewallen nearly pass out, but something told Blake that it wasn't entirely without reason.

"And now, may I introduce," Jade smirked to herself, obviously noticing her father's discomfort and sudden nervousness. "Sienna Robespierre."

The doors were opened, almost as if the woman had been waiting for her cue, and Sienna breezed into the dining room. She was a pretty woman. Blue eyes, dark brown hair, full breasts, and cherry lips. Even though she was no longer twenty, she exuded an air of life. Sienna caught Jade's eye and Blake saw the two exchange crafty smiles, as Sienna moved into the empty seat beside Jade.

Blake immediately worked to introduce himself to this woman, partially doing it because he knew how uncomfortable she made Mark. "Sienna," he tilted his chin in acknowledgment. "I'm Blake, and I would just like to say welcome to the family. I think I speak for everyone—Mark included—when I saw what a true pleasure this is."

He glanced pointedly at his future step-father, who was finding himself nowhere near pleased.

Now, Mark truly looked like he was regretting these family dinners. He showed all signs of being ready to excuse himself from the table, so Blake jumped in to save the dinner entertainment from being ruined. After all, an angry Mark always meant a happy Blake. "You know, Sienna, I'm so glad you're here today. I mean, normally my Daddy," Here, he paused to wink at Mark, mimicking Jade's previous word, "is so busy, but he sets away two hours every day, just so this family can be together."

This much was true, and it had been to Blake's great displeasure when he found out that Mark and his mother were setting down rules to get into family routine. An hour for dinner. An hour for "family happy hour time." It was almost as if the two of them thought they were raising eight-year-olds instead of fully grown teenagers.

Blake smiled smugly. Because of Mark's ridiculous notions, he'd had to give up two hours of his precious free time. But now that Sienna had shown up, Mark had made his own bed and could now go lie and die in it for all Blake cared. Karma had never felt so sweet.

"Well, Mark, I'm certainly glad to see that you're settling down so well," Sienna said, while helping herself to some of the princess duck. "A little surprised, actually. You used to be quite a womanizer. Must've bedded just about every available girl…"

Blake saw a delicate flush come over Arielle's cheeks. He wouldn't deny that it was extremely awkward to be hearing about your parents when they were your age. In fact, he might've had pity on Mark and kept his mouth shut, but an injustice still rankled in him.

After all, he was a man on a mission, a mission that would save his sanity. He was going to make Mark so mad that he would call off the wedding and send all of them home.

"Wow, Mark." Blake cut into the meat of the chicken. "It sounds like you've been keeping your biggest talent from all of us. Right, Mom? I mean, it sounds like he's pretty good judging by those sounds we hear coming from your room every night, but who knows if you were just faking, right?"

Arielle slapped a hand over her mouth from shock and laughter while Mark's face turned from white to an odd shade of burgundy. And then there was his mom, who looked shocked that her baby boy had grown up so fast and had much more knowledge about sex than she'd given him credit for.

He smirked at their expressions. Why anyone would want to be a righteous goody-two-shoes was beyond him. Everything was just so much easier when all the rules disappeared.

"Blake, kindly remove yourself from our presence," Mark said, with as much calm as he could, under the present circumstances. It had clearly been way too much to insult his masculinity.

Blake laughed silently at how these dinners were quickly becoming routine. They'd sit down, Blake would bring up something sensitive, and he'd be quickly dismissed from the table.

It was way too easy to rile up Mark Lewallen. And for the first time in the week, Blake regretted being kicked out of the family conversation. It was obviously progressing in a way that was going to ultimately provide Blake with endless hours of amusement. Pity, he'd managed to beat his record in obnoxiousness and get himself knocked out early in the game.

So, no one was more surprised than Blake, when Jade spoke up from her seat. "Oh no, Blake. Please stay. You're family, after all, and isn't that what we're here for?"

"Jade," her father threatened in a quiet voice. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would take well to having his authority undermined, and by his sixteen year old daughter no less.

"Oh, but Dad, it will be so boring, and then I'd have to ask Sienna here to start telling us some of her fascinating stories," Jade shot back, a mask of enjoyment on her face. She looked like someone who knew she was gaining the upper hand.

As if to add salt to the injury, Jade quickly made things progress even worse. "She did tell me about this one time that you and that one girl named Trisha Fields did it in the locker rooms. Didn't someone got it on videotape? I didn't even know you did things like that!" Jade exclaimed, watching her father retreat balefully into silence, his heated glare fluctuating between anger and embarrassment and being exposed in that way.

And so, Blake stayed after all.

"Well, it's a certainly a pleasant surprise to see the two of you get along so well," Hannah remarked, scrambling to change the topic into familiar territory. She looked slightly miffed at the man next to her, but made no indication of starting an argument at the dinner table.

Blake heard his mom's words and nearly choked on the spiciness of the fish. Jade as a friend? Blake almost scoffed at the idea, but he held it in and nodded seriously for the sake of fulfilling his daily quota of making Jade turn red. "I know. The two of us have been getting so close lately, it's almost scary. But, I've never been one to resist someone like Jade throwing themselves at me."

He had originally been meaning to mention the fact that Jade had kissed him while deriving pleasure from watching anger cross Mark's face as he realized his prize daughter had made out with the person he hated most. But, something told him that he could use this to his advantage in the near future.

Like after dinner, for instance.

Blake smiled as Jade glowered perceptibly. Even if the rest of the table hadn't caught his underlying meaning, she certainly had. Maybe she was even regretting asking him to stay.

Blake shrugged at her. It could really matter less to him what she thought of him, even if she was a good kisser. In fact, just to gall her even further, he licked his lips and smacked them together, never taking his eyes off of her. "You know, Jade, this friendship has gotten me thinking. Maybe it's time you introduced me to your boyfriend. I know how much he means to you. The level of loyalty is astounding, really." At this, he sneered, remembering Jade's method of attack.

Apparently, she remembered too, and promptly stood up. "I think we're finished with dinner. Blake, would you mind stepping outside for a moment, so we could talk about our new friendship?" Jade gritted, leaving no room for Blake to refuse.

"Actually, that's a lovely idea," Sienna rose too and spoke for only the second time since she'd sat down, her plate barely marked with traces of food. "Mark, I feel we should do the same. I've come to an impasse that I need to discuss with you." A lip curdled in derision, distorting her facial features. "I think it's the best if we take the conversation into your study, where nobody can overhear us."

Mark made a strange, strangled sound in the lower base of his throat. It didn't take an idiot to see that he knew it wasn't a good idea for him to be stuck in the same room as that woman.

As if he actually had a choice.

At least Blake would have the upper hand in the ensuing conversation. Standing up, he gave a flippant wave of his hand to the rest of the diners, taking care to wink at Mark, as Jade nearly mauled him out of the room, in her desperation to prevent him from saying anything else incriminating.

"What the hell?" Jade hissed, as soon as she had hauled him upstairs and thrown him into her room. She slammed the door shut behind her. "Do you have a death wish, or something? Because I can easily make that happen."

"Why Jade," Blake plopped himself down on Jade's bad, ignoring the strained noise of protest, "I thought we were good friends and all that shit. You're not being a very good friend to me right now, are you?"

"You can spare me all that," Jade snapped, moving to sit in her desk chair. "You know as well as I do that we're nothing but enemies who hate each other."

Blake raised his eyebrow and propped up onto his elbows to appraise her carefully, "Last I checked, enemies didn't go around kissing in empty classrooms, either. So, there must be something I'm missing out on."

Jade glared at him so heatedly he was afraid her eyeballs were going to pop right out. "My feelings for you haven't changed one bit."

Blake flopped back onto his back and tucked his hands behind his head. "I'm glad to hear that. Lucky for you, mine haven't either. But let's not talk about all that unpleasantness right now."

"No way," Jade said, deserting her seat and sitting on the edge of her bed, a foot away from the alignment of Blake's chest. "I still have something to discuss with you. In no way are you allowed to talk about what happened. Not to Arielle, not to Duke, and especially not to my father."

He turned his face to look at her. "And who's going to stop me?" Blake asked, surprised at her audacity to order him around when his hand clearly held the ace. "Little, old you? Because you'll have to excuse me when I say that's not a very big threat to me at all."

"What do you want then? I'm breaking up with Duke soon anyway, so you can't hold that over me. I just thought it would be a good idea to end on a clean note."

"Is that what you call it?" Blake snorted in derision. He shook his head. "You have some seriously demented ways of thinking, you know that?"

He saw her bit her tongue to keep the nearest retort from flying out of her mouth. When she opened it again, it was fairly civilized. "What would you like then? How much would I have to pay you to shut up?"

Blake stared at her incredulously for a second. How could such a smart person be so blatantly stupid. Did she honestly think his silence could be bought? "I hope you know that in about two months, everything here will be my home too, so there's no point in trying to pay me."

Jade looked like she was desperately holding back a series of angry comebacks. Blake laughed at the look on her face. It certainly looked painful. "I'll kiss you again," she volunteered in a lower voice, giving him her second thought.

Blake was stunned into silence for a second before he burst into laughter. He clutched his sides painfully. In between bouts of hysteria, he managed to grit out, "Are you serious? You're going to try to kiss me a second time so that I won't tell anyone about you kissing me the first time? Are you insane? What makes you think I even want to have a second time?"

This time, the red flush of color on Jade's cheeks made it hard to tell if it was from fury or embarrassment. "Then, tell me already!" she yelled, palms slapping the bed sheets, clearly fed up with Blake's antics.

Blake flashed her an amused glance. "There. That sounds more like you. You should really lay off the coy and seductiveness. It's quite scary."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Jade's grip tightened maddeningly on her blanket, leaving tiny creases behind on the impeccable navy and white expanse.

"Now that you mention it, I am. For the price of my silence, you are going to lay off on my sister. Which means no more orchestrating food shows on her in the cafeteria"—Blake glared at Jade, remembering what Alana had told him—"and you are also going to lay off on Arielle's personal life. If I want to kiss her, I want her to kiss me back without saying something about you not approving. It's her life, and she should be able to live it without you playing mother to her."

"So, you're going after my sister now, are you?" Jade sneered, briskly straightening back up so that her backside was ramrod straight. She didn't even bother to try denying her involvement in the cafeteria incident.

"I fail to see how that's your business," Blake informed her squarely. He yanked her down by the collar of her shirt. "Unless you're jealous, of course."

She furiously tried to yank herself back from his death-grip. "Don't delude yourself," she informed him coldly.

He didn't answer and gently swiped a thumb over her lips. She leaned in closer the smallest of a fraction, like she was expecting him to kiss her again. He smiled at that, and gently leaned forward, watching as she closed her eyes.

Blake stared amusedly at her rare, open expression and patted her roughly on the cheek two times, before lifting himself off the bed. "Think about my offer, won't you, Lewallen?"

Her eyes snapped open in anger and shock. "You bastard," she spat, spitefully running the heel of her hand over her lips to erase his touch there.

Blake paused at her doorway, "I'd watch that mouth of yours. I may be a bastard, but you're in need of my cooperation." He raised both eyebrows significantly. "Think before you speak. It'll get you more places."

And before she could say anything, he was already loping out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

Outside, he was just about to go find his sister when he ran into Arielle. "Arielle, what a pleasant surprise," he said, skidding to a stop. "You haven't seen my sister, have you?"

Arielle looked surprised to see Blake at first, but quickly recovered and shook her head regrettably. Noting that they were right outside Jade's room, she lowered her voice. "I'm actually looking for her, too," she confessed quietly. "I needed to talk to her."

Blake inclined his head playfully and said loudly. "If I find her for you, will you go out with me? Or should I wait and get it approved by that dictator in there first? "

He laughed uproariously when a door opened and Jade hurled J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye at his head.

Jade walked out of her room and nearly shot daggers at Blake with her eyes. "Ignore him, Ari." She yanked her sister into her room, and slammed the door.

Blake chuckled. It was extremely satisfying to know that Jade Lewallen couldn't use any name-calling against him, unless she wanted to provoke him into doing something drastic. Had he really wondered why she enjoyed blackmailing so much?

Shaking his head, he resumed his search for his sister again.

Meanwhile, the girl in question was crouching outside a wooden door. Her ear was squashed against the entrance and she fought to hear what was going on inside. Chase sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, honing in on her hearing sense.

Dinner, without question, had been a disaster. There was obviously something going on that they weren't telling her. There had to be for Mark Lewallen to be reduced into a tiny puddle of fear.

Inside, the two of them were still arguing. "…it's my right!" the woman was exclaiming. "Jade deserves to see Astoria. You've kept her from her mother for six years, you monster."

"While you're concern is certainly heart-warming, need I remind you that Astoria is unfortunately comatose, with no sign of ever awakening? She might as well be dead," Mark's voice scoffed. He had seemingly shed some of his nervousness at dinner, seeing as there was nobody present to witness anything.

Except for a certain, eavesdropping redhead outside the door, of course.

"She's in that state because of you," the woman retorted. "And even if Astoria can't see Jade, you're keeping her from an entire family. Her grandparents haven't seen their grand-daughter since she was ten. You owe them that much, at least."

"I owe them nothing. I cut off all my ties with your lot when Astoria died," a voice hissed.

"That's not true. You owe me a lot, Mark. I've kept my silence for a long time. It's a wonder nobody ever found out about some of shady things you once did, don't you think?"

There was a low growl of anger. "And why haven't you reported anything yet, dear Sienna? I'll tell you why. It's because you're just as guilty as I am."

"Oh, don't worry. I might not tell the authorities, but I will certainly tell Jade. I know you've been ignoring her for a long time. It won't take much to turn that loneliness against you. You're daughter's a cunning woman, Mark. Much smarter and discrete than you. I'm sure that with the proper motivation, I could sharpen her into a very powerful tool against you."

"Damn it, I don't need this, Sienna," There was a slamming sound from inside, and Chase was half afraid that Mark had smashed Sienna's head in the process. It almost made her afraid that her mom was going to marry this angry man inside. What had happened to wonderful, caring Mark? " In case you didn't know, I'm getting married soon, and I don't need to have you waltz back into my life and screw everything up. I've worked too hard over these years."

Chase pressed her ear even tighter against the door, to the point where it hurt. She needed to find out if that Sienna woman was still alive.

There was a pause, and then, "Ah, yes. Can't forget that. Your blushing bride-to-be. Do you love her too, the way you loved every woman you bedded before her?"

Chase gave a relieved sigh at Sienna's voice, and pulled away slightly to rub her ear. If she wanted to continue listening, she'd better make sure her ear was in top condition. It was interesting, actually, to find out about all this, even if some of it was confusing.

Suddenly, Chase felt a hand close itself over her mouth. And just like that, memories of what happened that one night came in flashes of déjà vu, and Chase kicked wildly, narrowly missing the door. The recent events had made Chase paranoid enough to be suspicious of even the slightest touch.

There was a squeezing hand on her shoulder from behind. "Chase, stop. It's me," a feminine voice pleaded softly, and Chase was whirled around. Arielle's bright blue eyes were wide with despair. "Don't kick me, please."

"Arielle, what are you doing here?" Chase whispered, trying to cover up her rapidly beating heart by standing up from where she'd been crouching.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," Arielle said, releasing Chase's arm as she stood up too.

"Me?" Chase asked uncertainly. While Arielle seemed nice, they weren't exactly the closest of friends yet. But, if Chase was being honest, she hadn't found a closest friend here at Beverly Hills yet. The past lunchtimes, she'd spent it hiding in the hallways, even though Jade had generously extended an offer to let Chase sit at her reserved table.

Arielle nodded affirmatively at Chase's question. "Do you mind if we go up to my room? It's a bit more private than here." She nodded towards the door to her father's study, indicating her distaste for conversing in such a noticeable spot.

"Sure," Chase answered uncertainly, as she followed Arielle upstairs.

"Sorry. I know this is kind of sudden," Arielle said, hurriedly pushing open her door.

"It's no problem at all," Chase mumbled as she stepped into Arielle's private room. She'd already seen Jade's the first day, and Arielle's was furnished similarly. The same set of furniture was in both rooms. The only major differences Chase could immediately pinpoint was the color of the room—Arielle's was painted a creamy pink color while Jade's was a light, royal purple—and the window view. While Jade's room faced the front, Arielle's was facing the back.

Chase sat down tentatively on the floor. "So, what was it that you needed to talk about?" she asked kindly. Even though she'd just been scared out of her wits, there was something about Arielle that cast an innocent glow on her persona. It made Chase want to mother her, the way she mothered Connor and, occasionally, Blake.

"It's not really me," Arielle plopped down onto the floor too, tucking her feet to the right, all delicate and lady-like. "It's Ryder. Today, he kind of found out that someone close to him died, and ever since he's been closed off."

She gave a broken sigh before continuing. "I tried texting him and I called his cell phone. I even went over to his house, but he didn't answer. I'm scared that he's withdrawing from the world."

"Oh, I hope he's okay," Chase added sympathetically, even as she wondered how this could possibly involve her.

Arielle shook her head sadly. "I don't think he is. It's not like him to be like this. He's normally the light-hearted, fun, optimistic one of the group. This brooding, depressed side of him is scaring me."

"Maybe he just needs time to let that someone go," Chase told Arielle gently. She certainly didn't want to come off as skeptical, but the general rule was that mourning for the dead was not something someone got over in a day or two. It took time. "I mean, it has only been a few hours since he found out. He can't possibly go back to the way he was before in that short of a time. Not if he truly cared about this person."

"I know," Arielle's expression looked so sad for her friend, Chase briefly wondered if she wasn't the one going through the heartache. "I'm not saying I don't want him to mourn. I know he needs to get it all out. It's just, I don't want him to be alone, because then he'll feel more depressed and neglected."

While Chase felt a small shot of respect and awe at Arielle's thoughtfulness, she didn't like the way the conversation was going. Maybe if she played dumb, the problem would resolve itself magically. "I think that's a great idea. We could ask Jade to try and visit him."

Arielle heard that and gave an uncharacteristic snort. "Jade would just make it worse; she's probably the last person he'd want to see at a time like this. I was actually thinking of you." She gave Chase a pointed stare.

Chase gulped loudly. This conversation was definitely going in a very bad direction. She was just going to have to try to let Arielle down easy while attempting to save her tentative friendship. "Arielle, while I'm very honored that you would think of me," Chase paused for a moment to let this sink in, "I'm not sure I could handle such a big task. I barely know him, and he doesn't know me either. I'm sure he wouldn't want me as a choice."

Arielle shook her head furiously. "Oh, nonsense. You guys might not know each other very well, but he certainly wants to. All I've been seeing all week is him approaching you. None of the girls he's hooked up with in the past has ever been publicly seen with him more than once. You're different in a special way. It's why I chose you in the first place."

Chase felt her heart sink at those words. Now how was she supposed to no to that? "Arielle, I'm not sure…" she tried weakly, in a last-ditch attempt.

"Please," Arielle noticed Chase's hesitation and cajoled winningly, allowing her big baby blues to swim with a persuasive tear-like sheen. "I'm not asking you to do anything drastic. Just, please visit him and see how he's doing. Maybe get him outside for a bit. Take his mind off whatever's bothering him. Please do it for him. He really, really needs this."

Chase took one look at Arielle's desperate face and felt herself caving. In a way, she hated that she was such a pushover. But a part of her also recognized that she couldn't deny the request without coming off as selfish and uncaring. "What's his address again?" she asked in defeat, mentally waving the white flag of surrender.

Arielle's face lit up in triumph and happiness at Chase's words. Just like that, her teary eyes were gone. "Here. I'll tell you everything you need to know." Arielle pulled Chase to her feet excitedly. "I'll even buy you a formal dress for the wedding reception, to save you time, so you can help Ryder out."

Chase sighed, and dusted her palms on her shirt, not managing to feel as enthused as Arielle. Somehow, she had a feeling she was so going to regret this.

AN: Well, there you have it. It's not super edited, but I did promise to get it in by the end of the weekend. The next update should be coming Wednesday night. I'm hoping to finish off Infamous by next Saturday, finally concluding this year-long project.

As I was writing this, I had one idea of getting Blake and Arielle together. Somewhere along the way, Jade stole Blake's knife and threatened me into writing her into the A/B storyline. I see Arielle being able to balance Blake's personality because she's a softer character and she's more loving, which he obviously needs. But then, J/B has a certain chemistry and I see Jade and Blake as being able to keep each other under control while keeping things interesting. So now, I'm asking you readers to give me your input. Send me a review or private message me with your thoughts! I'll definitely take your input into account. Until then, please R/R. As always criticism, flames, random thoughts welcome.


	18. Chapter 18

And the Cat's Out of the Bag

The world was on fire. Frankly, right now, it could go die for all Ryder cared. There was nothing in between him and that shot of alcohol now. Nothing. Because it didn't matter anymore.

"More," Duke croaked from beside Ryder, signaling the bartender, who wisely brought him another glass and refrained from checking their I.D.

Ryder stared straight ahead, his eyes unmoving on the glasses of bottles tucked into their respective cubby holes. Blinking rapidly, he took another swig.

There. Much better.

"Why are we drinking again?" West asked drowsily, having drunk more than Ryder, even though he had only followed to tag along in the first place.

Ryder sighed at his friend's question. He'd decided to get pissed an hour ago, when he had woken up and it didn't seem as if there was much of any meaning to life anymore. Along the way, Duke—and West, who was with him-- had texted Ryder, asking if the three of them could go to The Poison Apple and get wasted together.

Ryder would've questioned why someone so upstanding would need to get wasted, but Duke had told him soon enough anyway. Apparently, come Saturday morning, Jade had shown up at Duke's doorstep with the four dreaded words any person in a serious relationship knew and avoided like the plague: we need to talk.

The rest, as they say, was history.

As if he could read Ryder's mind, Duke spoke up morosely, "I just can't believe it's over."

West stared stupidly at Duke for a moment, as if the thought was taking extra long to connect with his cognitive functions. "Your girlfriend? Jade?" he slurred, a look of confusion on his face.

Ryder pondered the unfairness of the world, when people like West, who had no problems whatsoever, could get their minds to stop functioning while Ryder had to sit here, downing glass after glass while failing to achieve the same result.

Stupid high level of alcohol tolerance.

"Ex-girlfriend now," Duke mumbled to them, downing another glass. He looked to his left and right, staring at his best friends with his brown eyes, his black hair ruffled. "I don't even know what I did this time," he shook his head sadly. "Normally, I do something to make her mad, but I've racked my brains, and I can't think of anything. I don't even think I've said five words to her since Wednesday."

Truthfully, if Jade had broken up with Ryder, he'd be drinking from celebration instead of sorrow. But he couldn't bloody well tell his friend that. Not when Duke looked like death warmed over.

On the other hand, West clapped Duke on the back, feeling sorry for his friend. It wasn't his fault he'd gotten involved with such a complicated being. "Did she tell you why you guys were breaking up?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah. Gave me some shit about how we just didn't feel the same way about each other anymore. How she didn't want to hold me back, and that we both deserved to see other people than stay in a dead end relationship anymore. Said it was only fair to both of us." Duke rubbed his eyes with his right thumb and index finger.

Beside him, even Ryder winced. It took a fool not to see through those words. It wasn't about how Jade didn't want to hold Duke back; what she was really saying was that he was holding her back. She'd obviously found someone else to chase, and had chosen to leave Duke behind in the dust.

An empathetic pang of sympathy went through Ryder to see his best friend, who was usually the leader and backbone of their threesome, brought down low because of a girl. The same exact girl who had gotten Ryder into this state, in fact, when she'd first bribed him.

"You don't need her," West told Duke, trying to bolster his spirits. "She was completely dictating your life. Now, you get to do things your way. You can go out and have a one night stand with any female you want. You can say no, if you want." He paused for a second. "Maybe now, we won't even have to get involved in her little revenge schemes anymore. Such a pain, those things."

Inebriated West's face lit up as he thought about his reasoning, his drunken smile wobbly. "That would be nice," he said, trying to put on a serious face and failing tremendously.

"I know. It's just weird that after so long, I'm single again. I always thought we'd end up lasting through college or some shit," Duke was looking more and more upset. If he weren't so drunk, he would've never admitted that out loud.

Seeing Duke's sad face made Ryder feel slightly better, no matter how terrible he felt for thinking that. After all, it helped remind him that he wasn't the only one hurting.

Pain shared is pain halved, after all.

In a sudden fit of inspiration, Ryder lifted his glass shakily. "I say we drink to something," he announced, his hand shaking in the air so that the alcoholic contents swiveled themselves around dangerously in his glass. One slight of the hand could tip it over.

"Yeah, drink to something," West reiterated, bobbing his head up and down. It was slightly strange to see artistically brooding West act so happy. It was as if Ryder and West had switched personalities somewhere along the way.

"What exactly would we be drinking too?" Duke asked moodily, frowning down at his half empty glass with an air of disappointment, as if the glass itself had offended him.

Ryder thought for a moment. Then, he nodded decisively. "I got it," he announced. "Let's drink to no more stupid girls and the way they control our lives."

"I like the sound of that," West remarked happily.

_Of course he would_, Ryder's disorientated mind thought. _We're talking about West Tyson here, the guy who almost doesn't know that girls exist._ If Ryder was in a clear state of mind, he would've kicked himself for saying something like that. However, in his current state of mind, all his thoughts were currently anchored on the pain Kate had brought him. He couldn't be held responsible for whatever thoughts that were running rampant around in his mind.

"I'll start," Ryder nodded, the idea of toasting to the root of his problem strangely appealing. "My girlfriend is gone."

"My ex-girlfriend broke up with me," Duke said bitterly, lifting his glass too.

The two of them both turned to look at West. They doubted his troubles were serious at all. West saw the two of them watching him expectantly. "My sister's driving me crazy, trying to get me to do all sorts of girl PMS shit for her," he told them, because he really had no major girl problems in his life that could rival Duke's and Ryder's.

The two of looked away disappointedly. There really wasn't much to say to that, and the three fell silent.

Ryder was gloomily contemplating spending the rest of his life like this when he heard his name. A part of him almost didn't even register it in the din of the bar, but this voice was distinctly feminine.

"Is anyone by the name of Ryder in here?" a high-pitched voice was asking the bartender.

Ryder turned his head over towards the direction the voice was coming from and saw that tell-tale mane of red hair.

_Chase?_ He wondered disbelievingly.

Fascinated and unable to tear his eyes away, he watched as the bartender waved a hand towards his general direction. Chase turned and saw Ryder looking at her with his blood-shot eyes. There was a small sigh of relief as she ambled towards him.

"Thank goodness you're here," she told him, plopping down on the seat next to Ryder. She held up a piece of paper. "When Arielle didn't find you at your house, she gave me a list of places of where I could find you. It's a good thing you're here; it saves me a lot of trouble."

Ryder squinted at the piece of paper that she held in her hand and snorted. The next place she would've had to visit was a Hooters-type place that the three of them went on occasion when they were really bored. No wonder she'd been so relieved.

"So, are you okay?" she quickly stuffed the paper into her pocket, and popped her elbows onto the counter. "Arielle told me what happened."

And just like that, his amusement was gone and everything came crashing back down again.

"I'm fine," Ryder said rather stiffly. There was a reason he didn't want to see Arielle. It was bad enough that she had to be there when he'd been in the first stage of shock, but it would be even worse for her to see the after-effects.

"I'm sorry," she offered sincerely, her eyes full of understanding and sympathy. Ryder groggily thought of the irony that after a week of pursuing her, she would finally come around at a time when he didn't need her to talk to him anymore.

"It's nothing," Ryder mumbled, reaching to grab his glass again. To his surprise, Chase snatched it right out of his range.

He looked at her, astounded while she clutched the glass to her chest like it was her lifeline. "You really shouldn't be drinking. It's bad for you," she cleared her throat and explained sternly.

"But—" he protested weakly, not knowing if he should be angry at her or not, for depriving him of his drink.

"No buts," Chase said, her voice firmer this time. She took a look at his crestfallen face and sighed, hauling him up, "I know it's painful and it hurts, but when you wake up, it's not going to go away. You might as well start to deal with it now instead of putting it off. It'll only hurt more later."

"That sounds like it makes sense," West wiped his mouth with the back of his hands, his eyes keenly watching Chase. He shrugged his shoulders. "But then again, I don't really have anything to be sad about right now. I'm just drinking with my buddies to keep them company." He smiled, his face returning to its former doped expression.

"Of course," Chase smiled back at him, and tugged on Ryder's arm. "Now, come on. Let's get you out of here."

Ryder stumbled along, almost tripping over nothing. If he wasn't so disorientated right now, he might've commanded Chase to stop and unhand him. As it was, he really didn't have much of anything he could do except allow himself to be pulled along by a girl who had a surprising amount of strength for someone so little.

When they reached his car, he almost tripped again, trying to open the door.

Chase frowned when she saw that. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to drive in your condition. Give me your keys and I'll drive."

"You know how to drive?" he asked skeptically, fishing out his keys from his pockets, grateful that he hadn't done something stupid with them. Like he did that one time, when he'd thrown them into a fountain.

"I know how to drive ell enough," Chase answered vaguely, and somehow that didn't make Ryder feel better at all. She got into the all too familiar car, and looked around almost fearfully for a second before stabbing the key into the ignition and locking the doors for safety precautions.

"So, Arielle forced you to come fetch me?" Ryder said, his head starting to throb slightly. He didn't know if he should be flattered that Arielle had thought of him in his time of need. Or that the only reason Chase was here was probably because Arielle worked her wide-blue-eyed expression on her.

"Well," Chase cut her eyes to him for a minute, not missing the fact that the way he voiced his question sounded almost accusing that it had taken Arielle to get Chase to come visit him, "she asked me. But it was really my choice. I'm here because I care about you."

She gave him a reassuring smile. He noted that there was nothing there, except friendly concern. Maybe that was all she wanted to be. Ryder slouched down in his chair even further. Even though he didn't need to associate with her anymore if he didn't want to, there was still a small, sore spot in him that strangely felt like rejection.

"So, where do you want to go? We could go to a park or something. Help take your mind off something," Chase said, breaking Ryder out of his depressed thoughts.

Ryder made a face. He didn't feel like going to a park right now. For him, parks conjured up images of happy children running around in the sun, and lazing dogs. Definitely not what someone in depression wanted to see. If he had to go anywhere, he would prefer it to be someplace that would reflect the way he felt inside. Somewhere that you would read about in horror stories of haunted houses and dark forests.

Thinking about dark forests, a thought suddenly hit him, and he straightened up just the slightest. "Actually, I just remembered that I do want to go somewhere," he said. Maybe if he hadn't been so intent on getting pissed, he would've thought of it sooner. Still, it was nice to know that Ryder still had his occasional flashes of brilliance, even after a considerable amount of alcohol. But then again, his alcohol tolerance was scarily high. He had to, for him to still be reasonably functioning after all the drinks he'd consumed.

Bet Duke and West wished they could say the same.

"Oh, good. Where?" Chase said, looking relieved that Ryder was showing an interest, even if it was rather small. "Since I'm new here, I only know how to get to the park, the school, and to the house, but that's about it. You're going to have to direct me."

"We'll let the GPS take care of it," Ryder answered, reaching over and keying in their destination.

Chase took her eyes off the road temporarily to see where Ryder could possibly want to go. She looked up, raised a slight eyebrow, and then pointedly resumed looking at the road.

She didn't ask any questions and for that Ryder was grateful. They continued down the boulevard, everything silent with the exception of the female GPS voice.

Slowly, the busy interstate they had been driving on vanished, and they turned down a less sophisticated area. The houses were not as ostentatious as the other residences, though they were still decent-sized. The air seemed to be stiller in this area and even the sun seemed to have deserted the region in favor for a happier place.

Chase pulled to a stop, and Ryder saw that it was because a fat, black cat was ambling its way across the road.

"Bad luck," Chase smiled wryly, pointing a finger towards the road.

"That's something I could have less of in my life," Ryder commented, and Chase gave a small chuckle.

"We should be almost there," Chase said, after a look at the GPS. "In fact, it should be just about right up ahead."

Ryder twisted in his seat in anticipation. There was a small feeling of apprehension as Chase pulled ahead a little further, and parked the car.

Ryder got out of the passenger seat and his feet connected with the ground unsteadily for what had to be the tenth time this afternoon. Except this time, it was from nervousness rather than a lack of functioning abilities.

"Here you go," Chase announced to him, tossing her bag onto the seat before getting out of the car too. She smiled sadly at Ryder, as if she could understand the feelings that was passing through his frame of mind right this minute.

Ryder faintly heard what she said, but he couldn't even bring himself to respond to her as he stared at the vast expanse of tombstones. Somewhere in the land that stretched ahead, one of these was hers.

"Thanks for bringing me here," he said quietly to her, making his way to the gate. It slid open with ease, and the hinges didn't even make a sound. It was as if everything had fallen away, leaving only the two of them in the silence.

"Who are we looking for?" Chase asked timidly behind him. He detected a hint of apprehension in her voice, as if she didn't whether it was okay to ask him such a question.

He cleared his throat, feeling as if something was stuck in there permanently. "Kate Solemnity," he called behind him, and could almost feel her nod of understanding.

Ryder continued to plough through the endless rows of tombstones, bending down over each and every one to check. He saw the gravestones of dead uncles, wives, brothers, and once, even an eleven month old baby.

"I think I found her," Chase's voice called to him tentatively, and he swiped his head to see where she was standing at.

Heart in his throat beating faster and faster, he carefully weaved past the endless markers, and watched as Chase's face got closer and closer. Finally, he hesitated over Kate Solemnity's grave.

There was a moment when he almost felt like the air had become too compressed. Beneath him, lay the remains of Kate, a girl he'd fell for. He'd tried to get over her the first time around by hooking up with any available girl, telling himself that one of them would be the perfect one to fill the hole inside him. Needless to say, it'd failed tremendously. He wasn't quite sure the method would work the second time around, and he didn't have the heart to try anymore.

Before, it had been okay. She had broken things up with him, even though he knew it was because of her parents. But even then, somewhere in the back of his mind, there'd always been the thought that he could pass the time idly, waiting for the day she'd come back or he'd move on. But now, it just seemed disrespectful to her memory to go back to the way it was before.

He really didn't know what to do anymore. The last few days had ripped open the scar he'd tried so hard to close, and it still hurt like hell. A part of him wasn't sure what kind of life he'd go back to resuming, now faced with this knowledge flashing painfully in the back of his head.

_She could still be alive_, a dominant part of his head argued. _Maybe her parents were wrong. What would they know about her, anyway? I'm the one who knew her best. They could be wrong…_

Finally, when he couldn't resist the torturous battle in his head, and because he had to make sure, he agilely slid down onto the soft dirt, his eyes level with the engravings that had been chiseled into the everlasting stone.

And there it was. Kate Solemnity. 1993-2008. Beloved daughter. Rest in peace.

It was all there. Every single last bit of engraved stone. This was _real_. It wasn't some cruel joke that the universe was playing on him. And suddenly, Ryder felt numb. He couldn't even fool himself anymore. He couldn't pretend like it was just a bad mistake and that someone would come along to prove him wrong. Chase was right. All he'd done was try to deny the truth, and now it was time to face it: she was truly, undeniably, never going to come back.

Then, as if he'd summoned her from beyond, he felt her silky blond hair again, saw her special birthmark on her ribcage, heard her laugh. She was here. He tried desperately to hold on to her, but it slipped right through his hands, and then he couldn't feel her anymore.

And without realizing it, tears had started streaming down his face. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop. Beside him, he felt Chase sink down to the ground with him and wind her arms around his broad shoulders. He buried his face into her shoulder, needing to feel something firm.

Chase gently massaged his left shoulder, as she let him cry against her neck. If the steady fall of tears was uncomfortable against her, she never said a word about it. It must've made a strange picture, to see two distinctive blurbs holding each other with graves fanned around them.

Finally, he managed to pull his face out of the curve of her neck and stared unmoving towards something in the distance, letting the slight breeze wipe the remaining traces of his shame.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, after a long bout of silence, and lowered his unblinking gaze. "I'm drunk and I don't know what I'm doing. It won't happen again."

He felt Chase stir and pop her face in front of him, so that he was staring straight into her eyes. " Listen, it's not a bad thing to cry. It doesn't make you weak at all. My brother did it once, and he's the toughest guy I know," Chase informed him, having a good idea about where Ryder's sudden detachment was coming from.

Ryder looked at her earnest gaze, and allowed his lips to turn up just the slightest, even as his eyes remained serious and glazed.

Without acknowledging her statement or telling her how it made him feel the slightest better, he rose and offered his hand. "I'm ready to leave," he told her in a clear voice that was no longer congealed with emotion, letting nothing belie his inner turmoil.

She took his hand, and the two of them set off towards the car in a sort of camaraderie silence. Something was different now. There was that small strand of connection and friendship.

Their peaceful silence was broken when they reached the car. There was slightly distinct foul smell that permeated the air.

"What's that beeping sound?" Ryder asked, turning around and trying to search for the culprit.

"It seems to be coming from my bag," Chase frowned as she pulled Arielle's giant tote off the driver's seat. The sounds became sharper, as Chase grabbed the bag up and pulled it onto her lap. Her eyebrows slanted together as she pawed the bag; it felt heavy, and she quickly lifted it off her lap and onto the middle barrier separating driver and passenger.

"Why is this beeping?" Chase said in a confused tone, unzipping her bag. She stuck her hand in, rifling for the culprit, and then her face froze over in a look of horror and disbelief. She slowly withdrew her hand and held it away from herself like it was contagious. Slowly, she pulled it to her again, peering inside the bag.

A strange look came over her face.

"What?" he shook her shoulders a little, as if to snap her out of the weird dimensional world she was stuck in. Instead of answering his question, she threw off his hand, wrenched open the door, and proceeded to express her disgust by vomiting onto the gravel outside.

At this point, Ryder was too concerned to even worry about her leftover breakfast remnants getting over his precious car. "Are you okay?" he asked, growing rapidly alarmed by the second.

When she leaned back in her chair and didn't answer, he grabbed the bag to see for himself. He snapped it open, and immediately wished he hadn't.

Nestled inside, was a dead cat. It's terrible, yellow eyes were staring unblinkingly at him. He pulled it out, deciding that Chase would be in no mood to remove a dead cat. It might as well be the only manly thing he did today.

Ryder looked at the object in his hands disgustedly. It was the black cat that had crossed in front of them earlier in the day. Except now, its neck was bent at an awkward angle. Whoever put the cat inside had clearly first snapped its neck. The fur felt odd and stiff against Ryder's fingers.

A chill washed over him. This wasn't normal. It went beyond the normal, petty revenge schemes that girls like Jade were so fond of cooking up. This person was a psycho, obviously mentally deranged.

Unable to even look at it, he opened the car, and gently laid it down on the ground, only hoping that whoever found him would give him a decent burial.

"Your bag's still beeping," he informed her cautiously, as Chase was showing no signs of motor activity.

Hearing his voice, Chase closed her eyes and took out her new cell phone.

Flipping it open, she saw that someone had keyed a memo into it, programming it to send her a notice every so often.

Glancing at it, over her shoulder, Ryder scratched his head in confusion and quickly blinked his eyes to make sure he wasn't misreading it. On the memo, there was nothing except the number two.

Chase, pale-faced, quickly stuffed the cell phone back into her bag, and gunned the car down the road. "We have to get out of here," she told him, speaking for the first time since they'd got on. Her face still looked slightly sick, and Ryder noticed she'd set the bag down in the backseat, where it was out of her visual line of range.

"Who'd do that to a poor defenseless cat?" Chase whispered horrifically, finally regaining her sense of speech and willing to use it to voice her fears. Ryder heard her, but didn't answer that question. In his opinion, the better one would be who would do that to a poor, defenseless girl.

"And I was sure I locked the car," Chase continued, biting her lip and worrying it to no end. Ryder could only imagine the images going on in her head. Probably some lunatic haunting graveyards who strangles cats and breaks into cars on a daily basis.

"Well, it is a convertible," Ryder pointed out to assuage her fears, and by the look on Chase's face, he could tell she hadn't even thought about that.

"Right. I forgot about that," Chase swallowed noisily, but still not looking all too relieved. It was probably understandable, considering the state she was currently in.

Who would do such a thing, Ryder thought to himself, racking his brain long and hard.

As the car cruised back down the downcast lane, he looked out the window at the trees and the gloomy houses and suddenly squinted. There, in the thicket of some of the natural vegetation, he thought he could make out the silhouette of a human shadow watching them from the trees. Then, in a flash, it was gone, as quick as if it'd only been a figment of his imagination, leaving him with nothing but one question.

Who indeed.

A/N: First off, I just wanted to say that this story is not meant to condone drinking or killing cats in any way. My best friend has a cat, and I don't want to kill it or any other cat for that matter. That being said, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed last time. I am going to reply to all of them tonight, but I wanted to get this out to everyone first. The next chapter should be up Wednesday night, or maybe tonight, if I'm fast. As always, please read and review. Flames, criticism, random thoughts, always welcome too.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Sorry for taking so long. I know I said Wednesday night, and this is late twenty four hours, but my computer broke down for the last two days, so I'm reading and replying to the reviews as soon as I get this posted. **

**Another important note: The rating of the story is officially being changed to "M". Here on out for the rest of the story, it will concern topics inappropriate for teens under sixteen (drugs, drinking, potential sexual activities, etc.) If this is a problem for you, please don't continue reading. You have been warned. Now, enjoy. ******

Little Red Dress

Jade couldn't help but purr in self-satisfaction as she leaned over the stairway and rest her arms on top of the railings. She watched as the first, early guests started to arrive. Even the disgust at seeing people congratulate the happy couple couldn't put a damper on her mood.

Somewhere along the way, she'd lost sight of her original goal to make the van Burens miserable. It was all because of Sienna, who had to come along and ruined Jade's perfect little world. In fact, if Jade thought about it, she hadn't done much of anything since that lunch incident.

Well, she'd be upping her game soon enough.

She refocused her attention back on what was happening below and the scowl was back on her face. This had to be just about the most unconventional engagement party she'd ever attended. Not only was it hosted by the soon-to-be bride and groom –Jade shuddered internally before effectively blocking that disturbing thought from her mind, banishing it to the back of her brain--, but it was two months before the wedding. It was a serious faux pas, considering tradition indicated that engagement parties were clearly supposed to be held at least six months before the actual wedding.

But no, Mark wanted an engagement party for him and his sweetheart, and he wanted it _now_. And nobody ever questions him, unless they want to be served with a nasty lawsuit the next day.

Sighing, Jade departed from her lovely view, and walked back into her hotel room. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the good side of having a stupid engagement party at the freaking Beverly Hills Hotel.

Well, for one, Hannah and Mark had had a little lover's spat over this party. Apparently, Hannah had wanted this to be modest and family-only, since everyone knew that if you invited someone to an engagement party, you had to invite them to the wedding, unless you wanted to come off as rude. And having already seen the guest list with the hundreds of names on it, Jade could conclude that it was a good bet to say good-bye to Hannah's dream wedding ceremony. Ever since yesterday morning, Hannah had been upset at Mark. And Mark, who was still angry about Friday's dinner, didn't bother to patch things up anytime soon.

So now, the two were still slightly miffed at each other, which was definitely a bonus for her. If things continued like this, they'd be over before the wedding even started.

And to make things worse—or better for her, actually--Jade had a pretty good idea how her father's engagement party was going to turn out.

She smirked. Her father had rented the first and second floor of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Downstairs was supposed to be music, food, and dancing. The second floor had been delegated to the teenagers to keep underfoot adolescents from interfering and bothering Mark. It was also the place where all the teenage socialites would be roaming around free and unrestrained. Which basically meant that a hundred or so teenagers would be getting high, getting drunk, and getting laid for the next couple of hours.

Bravo. Mark had certainly thought _that_ little aspect out when he had rented this place.

And if that wasn't a surefire way to pick up an evening, Jade had a little something planned for a certain Blake van Buren. After Friday's humiliation, Jade was going to teach him that nobody ever embarrasses Jade. A part of her still growled silently at his blatant dismissal. Another, even bigger part, was ashamed she had even considered to let her guard down, only to have him throw it back in her face.

_No matter_, Jade thought, viciously stalking over the king bed in the hotel room she and Arielle had claimed as their dressing room. _After tonight, I'm going to make it one hundred percent clear that my only interest in him lies in destroying him._

She smirked. Blake van Buren was going to never forget her after this. He may have thought that he was different from the rich boys at Beverly Hills Champion High, but he was a teenage boy after all. And teenage boys are pretty much programmed to dominantly think of one thing only.

This was going to be so much fun.

Jade tilted her head to that she could see herself better in mirror wall in front of her, so as to pump her self confidence even higher to a near unbreakable level.

This action was not missed by Arielle, who was finishing up with some last minute polishing the final touches. She looked at her sister, and felt a sting of jealousy.

While Jade had always been quite pretty in her own vicious way, tonight she was dressed to kill. Ever since this morning, she'd been up and about, running to manicure and pedicure appointments, dress fittings, and hair salons. And the results showed. Jade was now a manicured, coiffed Barbie doll.

But it was the dress that really did it. It was a red, silk thing, more a scrap of material than an actual dress. The straps were wound around her neck and tied in a neat, little bow at the nape of Jade's neck while the plunging neckline stopped a few inches before her stomach hit. And what had previously been a knee-length confection, had now been shortened to hit a good twelve inches above the original length. This new development, not only effectively displayed Jade's mile long legs that had been topped out with Jimmy Choo stilettos, but also gave everyone a nice view of her lace-covered ass when Jade chose to twist and turn a certain way.

In other words, Jade looked like someone out of Vogue, while Arielle still felt hopelessly prudish next to Jade's outfit.

_I shouldn't be jealous of my own sister_, Arielle reminded herself sternly. _I should be happy for her_. Arielle cleared her throat, ready to prove to her inner self that she could be nice to her twin. "You look nice, Jade."

Jade glanced up sharply to see Arielle talking to her. Her eyes softened. Arielle and she were on a talking basis for now, and she didn't want to ruin it. "Thanks. You look pretty too," Jade told her, and it was true. Unlike Jade's revealing outfit—she wasn't going to bother denying what a slut she looked like in it--, Arielle's dark blue dress covered all her body parts and was unadorned, retaining a sort of classy feel to it. If Jade hadn't been so into this plan, she might've chosen to wear something similar. "Blue is totally your color," Jade told Arielle in a burst of sisterly bonding.

It seems like flattery really will get you places, after all.

"I'm totally jealous of your outfit, though," Arielle confessed to Jade, a slight flame inside her hoping that this was the first step towards the easier sisterly relationship they'd had a few weeks ago.

"I totally look like some kind of a whore," Jade admitted, walking over and standing next to Arielle in front of the mirror. She gently reached up to pat her side chignon, delicately.

_It's for a good cause_, Jade told herself. She went over to the jewelry case and fastened a tiffany necklace that dangled down her cleavage line.

"Anyways, guess what I heard?" Arielle asked, choosing to ignore Jade's previous comment. While the normal thing to do was to deny what Jade said, it would go down terribly with Jade, who couldn't tolerate lying in any sort of shape or form.

"What?" Jade closed her eyes in boredom and sat on the lounge chair in the room, kicking her feet up. She didn't even open her eyes to see if her heels were leaving marks behind on the pristine, white leather.

Arielle came and sat at the base of Jade's feet, and pulled one dainty foot up in half-applesauce stance. "I think Blake van Buren is planning something," she told Jade conspiratorially.

Jade's eyes snapped open, and she focused her steely gaze on Arielle. "Planning something? Come on, even if he's dumb, there's no way that he'd do something as stupid as that. There are five hundred people coming; he'd be caught in no time."

Arielle shook her head, eager to prove Jade wrong. "I doubt it. He has a pretty impressive history of masterminding things against authority figures."

Jade sat up a little straighter, as if someone was pulling a string out of the top of her head. "Has he really?" she asked, a strange glint in her eye that reminded Arielle of a hawk spotting its prey.

"Yeah. At the senior graduation ceremony last year, he apparently caught, bought and released a hundred mice into the auditorium full of unsuspecting parents and seniors. They had to finish up the rest of the ceremony outside on the sidewalk." Arielle nodded affirmatively, glad that she and Jade were actually having an interesting conversation together, instead of the bitch talks that had sprang up on them lately.

"Well, I certainly hope he doesn't try that one again. Father would throw a shit fit," Jade smiled to herself, imagining a potential boxing match between Mark and Blake.

"Anything Blake comes up with would probably send Father into a shit fit. Like the time he started a fire in the art building so that the whole school got out of taking finals. I hardly doubt Father would be particularly happy about that idea either. So you see, it's all the same in the end," Arielle told her sister.

"And we're paying to have him at our school?" Jade asked, shaking her head condescendingly. "That kid should be locked up so that he doesn't pollute the sanity of innocent people."

"And I would watch that pretty, little mouth of yours, Jade," a voice said from the doorway, "So far, it's only brought you a whole lot of trouble."

Jade snapped her neck to her nemesis, who was smirking at himself with an air of extreme self-satisfaction.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, as she look at Blake, who was decked in a black tuxedo.

He ignored her question, choosing to plop down next to Arielle. "Arielle, you look beautiful, as always." He told her, smiling at the faintest flush that permeated her porcelain cheeks. He turned his attention to the brunette laying on her back.

"And Jade." His smirk widened. "You cleaned up rather nicely. Better than I'd expected, anyways."

"And what exactly did you expect?" Jade asked icily while she seethed on the inside. So, to Arielle, he could be charming and say that she was beautiful, but to Jade, all he could manage was that she cleaned up _nicely_?

Needless to say, she was feeling very insulted.

"What did I expect from you? Librarian dressed in all black, to match your corrupted, little heart. It would seem like I was wrong though," he said, eying her unabashedly for someone who'd just delivered a backhanded compliment to Jade Lewallen.

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't be the first time, and nor would it be the last," Jade replied coolly, eying him right back so that it looked like the two were engaged in a furious staring contest.

It would've been funny to some bystanders, if Jade's hatred wasn't spelled out clear as day. Blake merely looked indifferent to the point where it would seem as if was being cold. Finally, it was Arielle who decided to break the monotonous silence.

"So, Blake, did you need something?" Arielle asked, fidgeting at the silence that had descended upon the three of them. She didn't know what was happening, but the animalistic expressions were starting to scare her.

Blake broke the gaze first. "Actually, yes. I almost forgot what I came here to say. You guys, lay off the desserts tonight, okay?"

"Does this have anything to do with what you're planning tonight?" Arielle twisted to her side to look at him.

"It has everything to do with what I'm planning," He confirmed. "I just got back from exchanging the deserts in the kitchen with a bunch of pot-infused brownies. I'm not sure if it's in the cake, so unless you're looking for something to do, refrain from eating them." He paused for a moment. "Although if Jade wants to get high with her stuffy friends downstairs, I certainly won't be the one jumping in to stop her."

"So you mean—" Arielle quickly intervened before the conversation could develop into a full-blown shouting match.

He nodded. "In just about over an hour, every grown up down there will be getting high off of those sugary treats."

"Won't somebody overdose down there?" Arielle said, with a worried expression on her face. Even though it was brilliant of Blake, she didn't want somebody to die from their little prank.

"Don't worry," Blake swatted his hand like it was nothing. "I didn't put enough in there. Just enough to get them high and happy. It'll be like they're smoking a cigarette."

"Hold it there for a second," Jade interrupted, finally deciding to contribute to the conversation. "Just where did you get all of these pot brownies? You don't seem like the baking type to me." She threw him a nasty look, his earlier comment still fresh in her mind.

Blake turned and looked at her like she was crazy. "And they told me that you were the smartest on in school…" he made a strangled sound in the back of his throat that sounded suspiciously of someone trying hard not to laugh. "Of course I didn't bake them, I paid someone else to bake and deliver."

"So you mean to say," Jade sneered, and fingers twirling the necklace at the base of her throat, "that my dad is basically paying to get high and make a fool of himself at his own engagement party?"

"Not exactly," Blake shrugged. "A reporter paid me to sneak him in. I used that money to get someone to bake the brownies and get a couple kegs of beer. For all of us."

"Unbelievable," Jade muttered, but unable to find anything to say against that. She hated that this was his idea. If it had been anyone else, she'd be congratulating them on their brilliance. It bothered her that his idea actually sounded like it might work, too.

"Don't worry your treacherous, greedy head about it," Blake stood up and ruffled Jade's hair, earning a murderous scowl from her. "Just do as I say, and you'll be fine. Remember to spread the word to the rest of the people. Now, I have to go find my sister, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid…"

His voice trailed off as he walked out of the room, and the door closed behind him.

"Like I said. Mental," Jade announced once he was gone and got up abruptly to walk to the nearest mirror in order to check her hair. She couldn't believe he'd tried to ruin it like that. And that librarian comment was completely uncalled for. Jade hadn't even been that mean to him lately, so she certainly couldn't see what his problem was.

"It's kind of genius if you think about it, though," Arielle said, her turn to lay down on the lounge chair. She stretching her feet out relaxingly, now that Jade was gone and she had the whole thing to herself.

Jade paused at Arielle's comment, and calmly resumed checking her appearance in the mirror. "So, do you like him or something?" Even though her tone was nonchalant, there was an unmistakable slight edge of hostility.

"I don't know him well enough yet," Arielle murmured, knowing that there was no way she could say anything definitive to Jade.

It was true too; she really wasn't sure if she liked him. She certainly thought he was brilliant and charming enough when he wanted. But for her, liking someone was a process. You took it slowly. Arielle didn't believe in love at first sight, because most of the times, it was purely physical attraction. To really know someone, you needed to spend time to delve through their layers, to get to know them. So, did she like Blake van Buren? She wasn't sure, but it would be a good guess to say that there was a distinct possibility of it in the future.

Without even hearing Arielle's inner workings, which would've confirmed her suspicions, Jade's eyes narrowed in the mirror, but she never even turned around to look at her sister. "I knew you were way too smart for that," Jade called behind her shoulder, even though Arielle had distinctly made it a point to not confirm or deny anything. For her, it was just easier to play it off like nothing, and hope that Arielle wouldn't be stupid enough to stand up against her.

"What would you do if you found out that I did like him, though?" Arielle asked in a quiet sort of voice, unwilling to let Jade get away so fast

Now, Jade did look back at Arielle, who was propped up on a roll-shaped pillow. "Since you've already said that you don't, it's kind of pointless to deal with these hypothetical situations."

Arielle angrily glared at the back of Jade's dress, pissed at how easily Jade had worked herself out of that little hole. She was displeased enough that Jade had immediately assumed what she wanted to believe. It nearly made her growl to know that there was really nothing she could do about it. There was just an air of authority and finality that left no room for any questions.

"We should probably go down," Arielle said in the most impolite voice that she could muster. She certainly didn't want to stay up here any longer, where Jade would be able to write up even more chapters of her future life. Sometimes, it seemed as if tiny step forward with Jade resulted in two steps backwards.

Jade nodded. "You go down first. I need to pee," Jade told Arielle, sweeping into the tiled monstrosity of a bathroom, and effectively shutting the door behind her.

She made loud sounds while lowering the toilet seat, and she ran the water from the taps until she heard Arielle gather her things and leave the room. Once she was sure her sister was gone, she came out of the bathroom again, and popped open one of the bureau drawers.

Arielle's phone was nestled snugly inside, and Jade picked it up gingerly. She's stole it earlier in the evening, and hidden it in the drawer, turning it on silent. Once she'd unlocked the code—the birthday of Arielle's Pomeranian dog, Biscuit--, she immediately searched through her sister's contacts, until she found Blake van Buren's number.

She scowled. She still couldn't believe that her father had insisted on getting the three van Buren kids cell phones, saying something about how it would help them "integrate" into society better. Much as she was angry at Mark right now, it still amazed her to see how Mark could be so generous towards them while he barely made an effort to get to know his own daughters. It was almost as if the van Buren kids were the kids he actually wanted.

Jade nearly stomped her feet in frustration. There was no time for self pity tonight. She needed all her concentration, and thinking negative thoughts was only going to bring her down. Refocusing her attention on the task before her, Jade quickly typed out a text message.

Arielle: Blake, meet me after dinner at 9:00 in room 1209. Keep it a secret and don't talk to me until I get there. I need to show you something.

There. It wasn't the best message ever, but it would ensure his presence for sure. Plus, she was on a time constraint. Even she couldn't think that fast.

Satisfied with what she'd written, she hit send before deleting the message from the sent inbox. Jade quietly slid the phone into her Chanel clutch and made her way down the stairs, already ready to be subjected to her father's friends.

Normally, she loved mingling with Beverly Hills' finest. There was a certain level of intelligence they provided that none of her classmates could.

But tonight, as she talked with all the people that had come to support the hated union, all she could think about was how much she wanted for dinner to be over, so that she and all the rest of the teenagers could escape upstairs and do whatever the hell they wanted.

It wasn't long before people started approaching her, asking her if she was so excited to be a bridesmaid at the wedding. She nearly screamed by the time she'd finished her fiftieth recitation of how happy she was to have such a big extension to the family. In fact, she would've liked to give them all the finger, but knowing that there was a reporter in their midst restrained her.

She wasn't looking forward to ending up on the front page tomorrow, with her middle finger blogged all over the news. If they wanted to take her picture for something, she'd prefer it be her face.

"Dear Jade, what a…provocative ensemble you have, dear," the sixty-something year old Mrs. Gorgas was talking to her now, ruining the fragile mental peace Jade had built. She looked Jade up and down disapprovingly while giving Jade one of those, "Back in my day…" lectures, and it was all Jade could do to start praying in public that Blake had somehow managed to poison the wine too.

By the time they had all managed to sit down for dinner, Jade was dying for some entertainment.

"Here," she whispered to her sister when Arielle sat down next to her, and whipped out Arielle's cell phone, handing it to her. "You left your cell phone in the room."

"Thanks," Arielle whispered back, smiling at her sister. Jade felt a pang of guilt go through her. She knew it was wrong to take advantage of Arielle this way, but as she'd learned early on, you were either the dominator or the dominated. And Jade had decided that not only was she going to be the dominator, she was going to be the only one. That way nobody would ever be able to bring her down.

"How in the world did Duke and Blake get seated all the way over there?" Arielle murmured, turning her head to the side so that she was talking in Jade's ear.

Jade looked over to see that Duke and Blake were indeed seated off to the side. Frankly, she wasn't surprised. She'd purposely had Duke relegated to another table so that there wouldn't be any awkwardness for two hours. And as for Blake, her father had probably moved him as far away from Jade as possible, where they would be less likely to plot his downfall over the lobster entrée.

"Duke and I broke up yesterday morning," she broke the news to Arielle quietly, in order to explain her ex-boyfriend's conspicuous absence at their table. Her fingers absentmindedly twiddled with the bisque-colored napkins that matched the table.

Beside her, Arielle's lake blue eyes went wide in surprise. "I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Jade jerked a bare shoulder up indifferently. "Not much to say. Things weren't the same anymore, so we ended it."

Or rather, she'd ended it. Duke had demanded to know what she'd meant when she told him that there was no spark anymore. She couldn't bear to tell him that she'd kissed an enemy while she'd still been with him, or that she'd enjoyed it. True, she still thought Blake van Buren was a douche bag, but it felt like she'd betrayed Duke when she wanted to kiss Blake instead of him. Jade figured that it was only fair to Duke to end things before she emotionally and mentally cheated on him as well.

Plus, this way, she would have no regrets about what she was about to do tonight.

In fact, Jade thought, sipping her glass of champagne, not only was she not going to look back, but she was going to enjoy it very much.

It was high time to get the night started, anyways.

AN: I'm still sticking by my old deadline of having this completed by Saturday night, but no guarantees. I can only promise that it will be finished before the end of summer. It's nearing completion, so everyone be patient with me for a little longer. Please read and review, as always. Thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far. They have made me so happy.

**ThisIsMyPenName101: **Thanks so much for reviewing. Somehow, I can't reply to your review, so I thought I'd give a shout out to you here. Thanks so much for your reviews. I think you're the only one that supports Jade and Blake, and I think that possibility's looking more likely now. I also like the friendship between Ryder and Chase, too. I wanted Chase to be different from someone who just falls over herself in excitement every time Ryder looks at her. Plus, it's fun to see how he can't understand why she wouldn't want him. And as for Chase's stalker, there'll be more on him/her by the end of the story. Anyways, thanks again for reviewing. I really appreciate it. 

Sincerely,

JT

Thanks again everyone, and please read and review. All comments appreciated.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Very important! This chapter contains various graphic and explicit details that people under sixteen should not be reading about. I have marked the section where people under sixteen should not be reading about. Please honor the code. Thank you, and enjoy. ******

When the World Fades Away

The throbbing crowd cheered as Caitlin Lambert got up onto the kitchen counter, teetering dangerously in her four-inch heels, and pole danced with the lamp they'd brought over for her little stunt. Even though there was no actual pole, she certainly didn't care, and neither did her audience, who were getting eyefuls of her behind every single time she crossed one leg over the makeshift pale.

Blake laid reclining on the couch, his mind blissfully empty of all unpleasant thoughts. Even though he'd probably pay for it tomorrow morning by suffering from another all-too-familiar hangover, he at least wanted to enjoy this one good night.

"Blake," Calvin Kelso exclaimed and came over and threw an arm over Blake's shoulders like they'd been friends since way back, when they were still in diapers and everything. "you're the man. I still can't believe how fucking unbelievable that was. Even I never got my own parents stoned."

"Let alone four hundred other grownups," Tony Peterson added, and the boys all looked on with newfound respect in their eyes. Something in the social order was changing, and they all knew it.

Blake smiled indulgently, finding that tolerating these Beverly Hills rich kids wasn't so hard after all. Besides, it had been hilarious watching four hundred upstanding socialites get high, so he figured he might as well enjoy the recognition they heaped upon him. Plus, it had been one of his more brilliant ideas, and he was rather proud of it himself. As for the results, those had been just priceless.

The first one to go had been some bald psychiatrist by the name of Doctor Willy. He'd started giggling uncontrollably at the Chinese oriental dragon design vase displayed in the hall, and it had snowballed from there.

Blake was still trying to decide which moment had been the best so far in the evening. It was either a tie between watching old lady Grandmother Cicero get stoned or seeing an out of control Mark spill his wine all over his pristine, white shirt.

No matter. He'd seen the photographer taking tons of pictures, so he was bound to relive the finer moments sometime tomorrow morning anyway.

Yawning, and ruffling his hair messily, he popped his feet onto the table, and waited for the victim to do another stupid task.

Somehow during his drunken haze, he'd ended up in the double suite at the end of the hall, where a group of teenagers were playing some weird version of Truth or Dare.

Whoever was up had a choice of picking between doing a dare or taking a chug of beer if they decided it wasn't worth it. Backing out in the middle of a dare meant you had to give the person who dared you any sexual favor they asked in the privacy of the adjacent bedroom next door.

He'd heard rumors that the preferred favor was oral sex, but Blake hadn't been stupid enough to put himself into that kind of a situation to find out if it was true or not.

When he'd first found out the rules of the game, he'd actually thought it amusing that a group of people had to basically come up with the nastiest possible thing to either get each other pissed or to get their needs fulfilled by some random, drunken stranger.

His amusement stretched out far enough to make him considering playing the pointless game. However, it had faded abruptly once he realized that his baby sister was part of the drunken crowd, hanging next to her new friend, Ryder or whatever the hell his name was.

Blake glared, having clearly remembered to have told Ryder to stay away. Somehow, he must've not been effective enough to make a deep and lasting impression.

It might be time to remedy that little problem.

Chase looked up, caught her brother's evil eye and gave him a stern look, letting him know that in no way was he allowed to compromise Ryder's evening. It had been hard enough to get him out of the house in the first place. Now that he was starting to have fun and forget about his troubles, she didn't really want to ruin it. Ryder was so much more enjoyable when he was pumped and hyper than when he was morose and gloomy.

"I don't think your brother likes me very much," he told her, not even looking like he was remotely wiped out, and ready to faint from all the alcohol that must've been cruising through his veins by now.

"Well, I like you," Chase told him seriously, feeling her face scrunch itself up in a funny expression. "And since you're my friend, he's just going to have to deal with it."

"Kind of like how you've had to deal with me for the past two days?" he commented jokingly, even though she could make out that his words were anything but in jester and good humor.

"Well, friends help each other out in times of need," Chase told him, quickly tacking on a lie. "Besides, I liked hanging out with you. I had a good time."

_Except for the fact that a dead cat ended up in my bag_, she added silently in her mind. She'd originally debated telling a grown up about the things that had happened to her. But, the first incident didn't have any proof, and she'd thrown the proof from the second incident out the door, so there was a dead end there too.

In the end, she'd decided to drop it and keep it to herself. After all, she didn't need her mother coming after her in worry over something small, not when her mother already had a wedding to plan.

Besides, Chase was sure that this incident would amount to nothing, and she'd be able to laugh about it tomorrow.

Chase looked over to her brother and sighed. She wished she could tell him what happened, but he would only blow it out of proportion. While a part of her was scared to death, the other, dominant part was just waiting for it to blow over. Maybe it was some kind of hazing period that everybody had to go through in high school.

She conveniently ignored the fact that nothing had happened to Connor or Blake. It's sad when some people can't accept the truth, even if it's already been laid down before them.

Blake looked at his sister from across the circled and folded his arms crossly. There was no way Chase should even be at a party like this. When'd she grow up so fast, anyway?

Beside him, Calvin Connors was nudging Blake in the arm. "You want some?" Blake looked down at the powdery white substance and the rolled twenty dollar bill. Cocaine.

"No. I'm good," Blake waved his hand and Calvin shrugged, resuming snorting his former activities. Blake shook his pack of Merit Ultra Lights and fished out a cigarette, lighting up. It was already expensive enough to keep buying cigarettes on the sly. He didn't need to go and screw himself over by getting saddled with another addiction to support.

He lazily blew out a cloud of smoke and flicked the ashes into an empty wine glass. Blake watched as a random blond made out with his little brother, and was suddenly reminded of Arielle.

Checking his cell phone—the only thing he'd accepted from Mark, because he'd actually wanted it—for the time, he stood up to meet Arielle in Room 1209 for whatever it was she wanted to show him.

Without bothering to even say good-bye, he stood up abruptly and made his way through a small group of teenagers at the door taking Ecstasy pills. He rolled his eyes. With so many drugs out here tonight, it would be a surprise if nobody got busted for it in the morning.

It was strange walking down the silent hallway. He occasionally paused to see if anything big was happening behind any other closed door, but it seemed silent for the most part. A few people were scattered about the floor, and that was that.

When he reached Room1209, it had been propped open with a book to prevent the door from automatically shutting itself. Kicking his way in. Blake stopped at the door war and blinked in surprise. The hotel room had been transformed slightly. There were scented candles spaced accordingly throughout the room, and the ground was littered with flower petals while classical music played in the background.

Was this what Arielle wanted to show him?

"Arielle?" he called, frowning as he looked into every room and found no sign of the blond.

Wondering vaguely if she'd forgotten, he quickly fired her a text message.

Blake: Arielle, I'm already here in Room 1209. Didn't you want to show me something?

Satisfied that he hadn't let his impatience show in his text message, he hit send and double checked the time, just to make sure he hadn't accidentally misread the numbers.

Shrugging out of his tuxedo jacket, he neatly hung it on the back of the nearest chair, and mussed his hair up a little while rubbing his eyes; he wasn't entirely sure how long this was going to take.

Blake didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, he heard the door creak open, and shut by itself.

He turned. "Arielle?" he called, relieved that she'd remembered after all.

There was a paused, and then the person stepped into the dimly lighted room. "Not quite, van Buren. Guess again."

"Jade?" He matched the tone, but was too surprised for any other thought. All he could see was Jade in that dress and those heels. "What are _you _doing here?"

He'd planned to meet up with Arielle, but had landed with the wrong twin instead. How had that happened?

Blake nearly swallowed audibly as Jade made her way over to him and slowly guided him backwards, so that he eventually fell onto the bed.

"Blake, Blake, Blake. How did we ever get to this point?" she asked, lowering her red mouth onto his jaw and kissing him there.

"You tell me," he strangled out as she pressed that hot little mouth of hers onto the base of his throat, leaving a lipstick mark. She slowly made her way up, finally pressing her lips to his.

_I shouldn't be doing this_, a part of his mind reminded him.

"Listen, Lewallen," He struggled to sit up and maintain what was left of his self-restraint and self-respect. He fully intended on being the stronger, better person and walking out of the room, but she got to him before he could do that.

Eyes narrowing slightly, her hand went up and yanked the bow right out of place. She gracefully pulled the dress off of herself in one fluid motion, leaving her almost naked in the air conditioned room.

Blake let his eyes travel over her body. That had to be the skimpiest piece of lingerie Blake had ever seen. It almost seemed as if Jade had purposely worn everything one size smaller, so that the small, black, lacy bra and thong accentuated her body and left little to the imagination.

Blake cursed under his breath. He was an eighteen year old male. His mind was programmed to want this. There was no way he was saying no to this. He wasn't that drunk. And when she was practically offering freely…

"You asked for it," he told her roughly, before yanking her down and closing his mouth over hers.

**M **She made a feral sound in the back of her throat that went straight to his groin, and he quickly flipped her over. He vaguely felt her fingers working themselves as they quickly unbuttoned his shirt, tossed his pants, and removed him of all further clothing.

She trailed kisses down his abdomen, and he couldn't help but give an animalistic noise in the back of his throat when her hands closed over his cock. She gently scraped her nails over his length, so that he made the same groaning sound again. And when she started pumping him, he almost came right there and then.

"Come here," he growled, and she carefully maneuvered herself back up and brought her lips to his. He closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy her ministrations. His hand traveled up her bare thigh and he reached to remove that lacy scrap of material on her ass when he felt her move away.

"What?" he frowned, opening his eyes. Was she going to chicken out now and give him the "I can't do this" excuse?

"Oh, Blake," Jade caressed his face softly and leaned in to press her ample chest against his bare one intimately.

But when he reached up to pull her down again, she smirked and shook her head saucily. There was a naughty look in her eyes, as she stood up, picked up her dress, and put it back on. Seeing Blake's lust-darkened eyes filled with confusion, she reached over to him.

Towering over his body, she gave him the last five words in the English dictionary that he'd wanted to hear. "See you around, van Buren," she told him, making a big show of patting his cheek twice condescendingly, in the exact same way he'd done to her a few days ago.

It was the slaps to his face that broke him out of his stunned silence. "What the hell, Lewallen? Is this some kind of a fucking joke?" he hissed, immediately sitting up so that he could glare at her properly, face to face.

Jade straightened the bottom half of her skirt and gave Blake a wolfish smile.. "Don't you remember? I'm the librarian with the black, corrupted heart. I never joke around. Plus, I only cleaned up nicely. I'm sure you could do much better than this." She pointed to her own body,

When he heard that, Blake nearly died in frustration. Was she really going to hold that against him? What'd she expect, anyways? They weren't even in a relationship, so it wasn't as if Blake had obligations to boost her already sky high self confidence. Besides, he assumed that she already knew that in that outfit, she looked like sex on heels. He didn't even know why it mattered to her, so this whole argument was just ridiculous, anyway.

"Jade," he said in a threatening tone. Jade Lewallen was mean, but even she wasn't this cruel to leave a guy in a state like this.

She was.

Not only that, but as she walked out the door, she'd swung back around, taking one last pointed look at a certain part of his body in such a way that was purposely adding salt to the wound. "You know, I like you much better this way. At this point in my plan, I think I was supposed to tell you to go fuck yourself for being such an asshole to me on Friday. But, I think you already know what you have to do, so I won't rub it in." And then, firing one last self-satisfied smirk in his direction, she exited out of the room.

Letting loose a string of profanities that would've made anyone's ears bleed, he looked down to see the bulging erection that Jade had apparently been staring at.

Fuck. **M**

Back in the party suite, Chase's insides were pleasantly warm. She looked over to Ryder and beamed. He grinned back, strands of his dirty blond hair flopping against his forehead. It was so boyishly adorable that it made Chase want to hug him.

A year ago, if someone had told her that she'd be friends with someone like Ryder, she would've laughed it off and told that person to go to the emergency room to get his or her head checked. Abercrombie model type people just didn't become friends with people like here. And she didn't go seeking their friendship either.

But she found that she did like being friends with Ryder. Yesterday, after her cat scare, he'd taken her to get some cookies 'n cream ice cream, her absolute favorite. Then, just this morning, she'd dragged him out to the park, where she was able to wheedle and convince him to come to the engagement party tonight.

So maybe, she'd been just a little too hasty in passing judgment regarding the popular crowd.

"Thanks for coming here, tonight. I would've been such a loner with you," she told him thankfully. And it was true. Blake had disappeared shortly after they'd started the game, and Connor was too busy trying to imitate Blake to even talk to her. Last she'd seen of her baby brother, he'd had two girls on his lap. Gross.

"No, thank _you_." Ryder said a little louder, say that Chase could hear him above the shouts of the crowd. "I was going to stay in tonight and mope around, looking at old pictures. I'm glad I listened to you and came here, instead. I'm glad you're here for me," He told her truthfully.

Chase looked into his earnest eyes and felt that tiny, cliché flutter in her stomach that she was always reading about in those romance books. Up this close, she could see all the little details about him. Like the fact that his right canine tooth was sharper than the one on his left. Or that he had a single freckle on the lobe of his left ear. Or the way his eyes had flecks of gold in them, when the light hit it at a certain angle.

And without even realizing it, Chase leaned forward so close that she was almost nose to nose with him, and Ryder soon closed the distance between the two of them, his mouth gently touching hers.

His lips were soft and it wasn't hard against hers. As he let his tongue travel slowly in her mouth slowly, it was almost as if he was trying to memorize the contours of her lips.

When he kissed her, she could taste bits of him. In it, there was the small leftover parts of the Trident gum he was addicted to, the taste of the beer that had been in his glass earlier, and a little bit of what made Ryder who he was.

In that last piece, there was definitely some sadness, but there was also longing. And Chase found herself drawing him closer to her, wanting to taste everything.

_I want him_, her mind thought as her hormone-charged body curved against Ryder's shape.

Strangely, it was that though that made it feel as if something had suddenly woke up inside of her, and Chase's hold on Ryder's clothes immediately released. She quickly extracted herself and nearly jumped up from the couch she was sitting on.

There was disbelief in her eyes, and she tried to say anything. And of all the things she could've said, she blurted out, "I have to use the bathroom," and made a run for it.

"Look Chase, I'm wasn't going to—", Ryder pleaded with her depserately, but she was had already tuned him out. Running into the hallway, she slammed the door behind her and slumped to the ground a few feet away from the staircase.

She couldn't believe she'd let herself do that, just because Ryder Ferreira had nice, twinkling eyes. One would think that after all the failed relationships she'd seen happen—her dad had walked out on them, after all—she'd know better than to get herself into a dead end situation. She'd learned long ago that relationships were dangerous, because the heartbreak was almost always inevitable.

Whatever had possessed her to kiss Ryder the first time must not happen again. He had been nice to her the past few days, but who knows when he'd get tired of her and leave. She'd heard things about his womanizing reputation, and Chase knew better than to get herself involved. Friendship as it had been for the past two days was fine; anything beyond that was not.

She was strong enough for that, she decided. No more compromising her ideals. They would be good friends, and that would be that.

This was definitely doable.

Feeling stronger now that her commitment had renewed itself in her mind, Chase stood up, albeit a little shakily, and made her way back to the room.

The first step was to pretend as if it had been a mistake. If she was lucky, he wouldn't bring it up, and they could pretend like it never happened. Either way, she wasn't going to even look at those lips again.

Steeling her resolve, she sat down next to him again, as if the past twenty minutes had been just like the rest of the evening. "Stomachache," she told him breezily, not offering any extra details.

He nodded, but didn't look like he was convinced. "Chase, when I kissed you… I wasn't trying to get in your pants or anything, I swear."

Chase nodded tersely, but couldn't bring herself to tell him that it wasn't his fault. Fortunately, she was saved from furthering the conversation, as West addressed her from across the table.

"I pick Chase. Chase, I dare you to…" West's eyes were slightly crossed now, as he tried to think of a good dare. "take off your dress and take three laps around the entire room."

She grimaced when she heard that. No matter how drunk she was, or how drunk everybody else was, there was no way she was going to run around half naked. "I'll pass," she told West, and took another chug at her beer.

"You've been passing the entire evening," a guy complained. Chase shifted nervously. He'd been watching her for the entire evening, and he didn't seem as drunk as the others. Chase felt intimidated, just looking into those dark orbs.

The guy caught her wary look, and leered. "My turn. I dare Chase to come blow me right now."

Chase quickly took another, big drink of beer, to make it crystal clear that there was no way she'd be doing anything for him tonight, or ever.

"When you're done, let me have a go," Tyler Ranch waved an arm in the air wildly, eying Chase's chest with curious interest. She pulled the front of her dress up, and drank again.

"This is getting stupid," a voice said, walking over to their game circle. Chase realized with a relieved sigh that it was Blake, and not some other male. His hair was mussed, and there was an angry, devious glint in his eye. "I say we get out of here, and bring the party back full swing at my place."

And Blake, who'd always been the leader rather than the follower, quickly gathered support for his idea, leading the way as people scrambled for the back doorway, leaving the entire room in shambles. Nobody seemed to care what would happen when a hundred of the Beverly Hills teen royalty was discovered missing at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

"Chase, you coming?" Ryder asked her, as he half-heartedly offered her his hand.

She nodded. "Go on without me. I need to get something first," she told him, and her voice sounded strangely detached from her body. It was almost as if she was listening to someone else talk. Weird.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait and drive you?" Ryder asked uncertainly, not sure if friend duties required waiting for each other.

Chase nodded again, to answer his question. "I didn't have that much tonight, and this will take really quick. I promise."

"Okay. I'll see you back at the Lewallen Estate, then." He told her, and walked out of the room, leaving her almost alone, with only a few, passed out teenagers for company.

Ripping a piece of paper off the hotel stationary, she forced her mind to concentrate and wrote a hasty note to her mother, explaining that she'd gone back to the house. Then, after leaving it right on the kitchen counter in plain sight, she grabbed her small, Fendi bag—another item borrowed off of Arielle--, and made her way down to where she'd parked her temporary car.

She nearly tripped over nothing as she reached in her bag for her car keys, and had to steady herself on the hood of the Lexus.

Maybe she'd had more to drink than she'd thought. Being a first time drinker, she had no idea how to make any of this go away. Perhaps she should've asked Ryder to wait for her, instead of worrying about what he'd say if he saw her being such a sissy at her first, real teenage party.

She closed her eyes in relief as she made it safely into her seat, with her behind planted firmly in the right place of the car. Locking the doors as a safety precaution, she made her hands stick the key into the ignition and rev the car out of its parking space.

Chase frowned as her brain tried to send the proper signals to her motor functions. For some reason, her hands felt detached from the rest of her, and there was no feeling of control at all. She started getting scared. It was as if the car was driving itself.

Desperately, she tried to pull the car over to the side of the road, so that she could call Blake to come help her out, but her hands and feet remained where they were, and moving them in any way was becoming more and more like an impossible feat.

To make things worse, her eyelids started fluttering shut against their own will, and she had to repeatedly jerk her head up to keep from falling asleep. She tried telling herself to stay calm, but that remained harder and harder to do when she found herself driving on an unfamiliar road, with no idea how to get back.

"Shit," she nearly sobbed, when the streets became darker and even more unfamiliar.

Then, dimly in the back of her mind, she remembered Ryder keying in the directions to the car's GPS. Hopefully, she slowly forced one hand to move fluidly to the internal GPS, where she keyed in her home address while thanking the heavens that her barely functioning mind was still able to remember that piece of information.

Hearing the smooth voice of the GPS director, she allowed herself to relax, as she turned around, making a U-turn, and noticing for the first time the silent, black car that had been following her.

Blood chilled, she egged her car on faster, hoping that she could trust in the little GPS.

It was time to go home.

**AN: Well, here it is. The next chapter should be relatively short, and it will finish with Ryder/Duke's POV. There will be one small chapter after that with snippets from everyone's POV, and then an epilogue. Again, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my story. It's five in the morning over here, and I just wanted to get this out. I will reply to reviews/PMs tomorrow morning. Thanks again, and please R/R and let me know how I did with this chapter. It was the hardest to write. **


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: I have updated the final three chapters of the story, and as of now, Infamous is finished. These three chapters have been updated together because they only work when you read them together. That being said, please enjoy. And also, there's a long author's note at the end, so please read because it's really important. Thanks! **

Can I Get A Moment of Silence, Please?

If any of the residents had looked out their bedroom window, they would've been met with a strange sight. Teenagers traveling by fours and fives per car, streaking past the houses one by one in this suburban neighborhood.

As it was, everybody who was anybody was getting high at the time, and those who weren't knew better than to say anything about it.

Even when the music from the Lewallen Estate became almost unbearably loud, no neighbors came knocking on the door, complaining that it was midnight and that the rest of the general public would like to get some sleep. Whether this was because nobody heard them on the acres of Lewallen land or because nobody wanted to infuriate any member of the family remained a mystery.

All Ryder knew as he sat down in his little corner in the foyer was that he had messed up everything. Again.

He didn't mean to kiss her, but all he could think about at that moment was how Chase van Buren had shown him more support in two days than his other friends in Jade's circle. And it had been a long time since somebody had cared. Duke and West were his buddies, but he couldn't bloody well cry on _their_ shoulders and expect them to understand. They would've asked him if he was okay, and based on his answer, his problems would either be forgotten or he would have been deemed a sissy.

But now, it seemed like he had ruined it all. Her disgust with him had been obvious when she'd refused his offer to wait for her. Maybe he should've pressed his offer, but at that time, all he'd wanted to do was get away from having to look at those accusing eyes.

He should count himself lucky if she'd even want to be friends after this. After all, hadn't she already made it painfully clear that she didn't like him that way? And now, she must think that he was pretending to be friends in order to reap the benefits, or something.

Well, when she came back, he would make sure to make it clear that he was willing to just be friends too. Then, hopefully, they could forget all about this and continue on the road; this tiny bump would never have be spoken of again until years later, when they would be able to laugh about it again.

"Hey, Ryder," a girl purred, slithering over to his tiny corner, beer in hand. She had already rid herself of her cardigan and dress, thanks to the game of strip poker happening over in the living room.

"Hey," he replied, because it would be rude to ask her to please leave him alone. "Do I know you?"

The girl frowned at his question and looked like Ryder had just served her a personal offense. "Don't you remember? We hooked up in the coat closet at Christian Marino's house, like, three months ago," she huffed angrily.

Ryder tilted his head to look at her from a different angle. "Isabel, is that you?" he asked, taking a wild shot. He'd remembered making out with someone named Isabel before in Christian Marino's closet. He also remembered that he'd hooked up with three others, so he figured it was a twenty-five percent chance kind of thing.

To his embarrassment, the girl's face colored with hurt at his words. "I'm not Isabel. I'm Lauren. You really don't remember."

"Of course I do. It's the beer talking," He assured her. "Now, did you need something?"

"Sure I do. You want to go find someplace private?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively, something that only made her eyebrows look comical on her thin face.

"No, I don't," Ryder said with disgust and pushed her away to stand up, leaving her in his little corner. How he had ever managed to get past looking at her face for five minutes straight was a mystery to him.

He really had to stop these escapades.

Knowing that he probably wouldn't find peace anywhere to think, he made his way up the stairs, to the only place where he knew he'd find privacy: Jade's room. She wouldn't be happy with him, but he was tired of always asking for her approval on things. Besides, her room was immaculately clean, which meant he could stop around without fear of slipping in vomit.

When he got there, the door was locked, of course, but he'd expected that. After all, Jade's room was her sanctuary, the place where she developed all her evil ideas. Plus, he doubted that someone like Jade would just leave her doors open for anyone.

Luckily for him, that day that he and Arielle had been snooping around, he'd seen Arielle open the door with a key that was hidden on top of the door frame.

Reaching up for the golden thing, he inserted it in, jiggled the lock until it hit the right spot, and twisted the knob. And just like that, he was in.

Ryder carefully tread into the room, just in case Jade was in her room. He didn't want to end up with his head chewed off in case she found him. Then, locking the door again, he let out a sigh of relief when he realized just how peaceful it was in here, compared to downstairs.

He walked around, peering in the closet, the bathroom, and the balcony, just to make sure that he was truly alone. When he was sure, he settled down comfortably in the middle of the room.

Peace at last.

Then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Jade's computer was moving. Or rather, something on it was moving.

He quickly rounded on Jade's PC, and stared stupidly at the screen for a minute before realizing just exactly what he was seeing.

It was a video recorder. Or actually, it was a bunch of video recorders, with options at the side to pick from a certain room.

Jade must've been able to keep track of everything this whole time. With this thing on her desk, he was privy to Arielle's bedroom, the front lawn, the pool room, and home exercise gym, the built-in movie theatre, and every other place in the house he could think of, with the exception of the bathrooms.

It was all here.

Fascination peaked, Ryder slowly lowered himself down onto the seat and began watching.


	22. Chapter 22

Three Strikes and You're Out!

Jade was walking around, patrolling the hallways. She could've just used the computer in her room, but she felt a need to stumble across two people and physically yell at them.

Continuing down the length of the hallway, she cursed Blake van Buren for the tenth time since the party had been moved to her house. It was just like him to invite hundreds of drunken teenagers to throw up in her house and have sex in the bedrooms.

Then, when her father came home, she would be blamed again and Blake van Buren was going to get away scot free. Like always.

She had a feeling this was his way of getting back at her for earlier.

Sighing, she kept walking. Downstairs, she could hear the pulsing beat of some dance song that had come straight out of somebody's iPod. Trying to tune everything out, she continued past the doors, pausing over each other to put her ear to the door. If anybody was going to grope each other in one her family bedrooms, it was going to stop right now.

Pushing her ear against the third door down the hallway, she heard distinct moaning sounds from inside.

Finally.

Turning the handle in her hand, she found that it wasn't even locked.

She stormed in, ready to give whoever was in there a verbal bashing while delivering threats to their physical health. Instead, all she found was Blake van Buren. Making out on the bed with a beach blond girl that slightly resembled Arielle from the back.

Red dots appeared in her line of vision, coloring her sight. He had certainly gotten over himself fast enough.

Incensed, Jade watched as the two of them tried to eat each other's faces, and scoffed with obvious disgust. Hearing the noise, the two broke away from each other.

Blake looked up, caught Jade's murderous look, and shrugged noncommittally.

"Ignore her," he advised the blond girl, and grabbed her face so that he could resume swallowing her face.

Noting that the room belonged to Blake, giving him full right to do whatever the hell he wanted to in it, she made a mental note of the girl and backed out of the room, slamming the door. She could've made a bigger fuss by demanding the girl leave Lewallen Estate, but that would only make it seem like she cared.

So she stayed silent, and patrolled the hallways, even more furious than before.

~*~

Blake van Buren was in his room, making out with Trisha Fields. Here, at least, was a girl who didn't make him question everything. She was here because she wanted to be here, and not because there was some kind of hidden agenda. Plus, she was wasn't too bad to look at, either.

When his bedroom door opened in the midst of their session, he opened his eyes, and –to his surprise--saw Jade standing there. It was as if he'd conjured her up somehow. Then, purposely shrugging to show her how easy it had been to replace her, he pulled Trisha to him and resumed kissing her.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a door slam.

~*~

Arielle had never been so furious in her whole entire life. When she'd broken her pinkie climbing a fence on another one of Jade's great revenge schemes, she didn't think she had been this angry. Even when Jade had verbally embarrassed her in front of the rest of the group countless of times, she'd only harbored a silent grudge, and she always forgave Jade the next day.

But this time it had gone too far.

Not only had Jade stole her cell phone for her own nefarious purposes, but she'd also blatantly betrayed Arielle.

At first, when she'd received Blake's text message, she'd been confused. Then, she had scrolled down and seen the message that'd been sent from her phone earlier, and it had all became painfully clear to her.

Her cell phone had obviously been hacked by someone. Besides Jade, hardly anybody knew the password to unlock her code. Plus, Jade was the one who'd returned Arielle's phone under the guise that Arielle had left it back in the room. She could've easily used it, and then sneaked it back.

But that's where the comprehension stopped. Jade had made it clear to Arielle that she hated Blake van Buren, so unless she wanted to destroy him, Arielle couldn't imagine what she could possibly want with him.

So, Arielle, interest piqued, had decided to find out for herself. When she arrived, she found that the keys entrusted to her and Jade by Mark was missing the key to Room 1209. So, she grabbed the key to Room 1208, the one that adjoined Room 1209, and had barely cracked the door open when she'd been faced with a revolting sight.

Two sets of tangled limbs were locked together on the room's bed. It seemed like the two people were in the middle of feeling each other up, as the girls' hand slid over the guy's length. Arielle had immediately recognized the one on top as Jade, and another peek had confirmed that the one on the bottom was none other than Blake van Buren.

Shocked and horrified, Arielle had immediately slammed the door shut, not even bothering to be quiet about it. She doubted the two of them heard it over those wild moaning sounds they were making, anyway.

At first, she'd sat in Room 1208, shuddering over the images that were now burned into the back of her brain. Once the initial shock had worn off though, it had slowly morphed into rage.

It wasn't even so much that Jade was carrying on something with Blake. It was the fact that it was a betrayal to Arielle's trust. She told Jade nearly everything because she wanted to be close to her sister. In fact, the only thing that she hadn't been entirely truthful to Jade about was the subject of their mother. And she'd only kept it secret because Mark told her that reminding Jade would cause her to go into post-traumatic stress, and Arielle hadn't wanted that to happen to her sister.

But, apparently, Jade didn't have the same sisterly sentiments as she did. Even her breakup with Duke had only been revealed to her twenty four hours after it'd happened. So, Jade really didn't even put Arielle as her priority in these things.

And that's what hurt the most. That after Arielle had considered Jade to be her closest confidante, Jade had treated her as nothing more than another one of her minions to command. That to Jade, Arielle was one the same level as the rest of them. That Arielle, too, was just as worthless.

Well, not anymore. Arielle had been pushed and pushed, and now she was through.

Mind focused on finding her sister, she finally found Jade pacing the hallways. Arielle strode up to her angrily. "Jade Lewallen, you are a filthy hypocrite," Arielle gritted spitefully in a voice that she could hardly believe was her own.

"What are you on?" Jade sneered back, caught in a towering temper at the moment. She didn't want to deal with this shit right now.

"I certainly wasn't on anything when I saw you draped half-naked over Blake," Arielle shot back, and she saw a tiny flicker of surprise and apprehension in Jade's eyes. And then, it was gone again.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Jade told her, attempting to push past Arielle.

"That's just it!" Arielle shouted, feeling the beginning of tears prickling her eyes so that the cold air made it sting. "I know nothing, because you don't tell me anything. It's like you treat me as your slave rather than your sister."

"Oh, you're a fine one to talk, Arielle Lewallen," Jade whirled on her twin. "You blame me for keeping secrets, and yet you're the one who never breathed a word about our mother. If that's not hypocritical coming from you, I don't know what is."

Arielle gnashed her teeth together angrily. "I only did that because I didn't want to send you back into a coma. Do you think I like not being able to talk about our mother? Because, you can go on day to day without even realizing what you're missing, but I can't. You're not the victim here, so stop playing the role of a martyr."

Jade turned her nose in the air that had a way of making Arielle feel small. "Well, it seems like your concern is wasted. I'm about to find out ever dirty, little thing, regardless if you want me to or not." Jade said with a stormy expression spread across her face.

"Well, I certainly won't be wasting any more of my energy on you," Arielle told Jade coldly, feeling fueled by the power rush. It felt good to finally lash out after years of keeping it all bottled up. "And if you can't start treating people right, then nobody else will either."

"Do be careful about the insults you throw at me right now. People who have done so in the past have a nasty habit of regretting it." Jade told Arielle hatefully, as if she couldn't believe her authority was being challenged this way.

"Then think of my words as advice. Or haven't you noticed that your followers are dwindling? Ryder hates you. Duke isn't with you anymore. West is Duke's friend more than yours, so he'll probably be supporting him. Winter is hardly around anymore. And me? I've just about had it with you. So, now tell me. Where exactly is your infamous army?" Arielle asked quietly in a ominous tone that belied her angelic face.

Jade straightened up haughtily. "Don't forget who runs things around here, Arielle," Jade all but scoffed at Arielle's words. "I can rebuild everything just as easily the second time."

"Then, I hope you find somebody who will take your crap. Because I'm not going to anymore. Not now, and not ever again." Arielle finished, in that same quiet tone she'd used before.

Then, for the first time in her life, Arielle turned her back against her sister and walked away.

~*~

Duke Lawson had almost managed to forget about his ex-girlfriend. Almost. As he let exotically beautiful Freesia Goldberg grind herself and her chocolate-colored skin against him, he could almost close his eyes and not see Jade.

Jade. Duke sighed. Viciously cold and beautiful Jade Lewallen. Jade Lewallen, who'd callously broken his heart without a second thought. He'd curtailed everything to make her happy, and in the end, it hadn't been good enough for her.

He could still remember the way she had looked when she'd made it clear that they were over: cruelly detached, as if ending a two-year-long relationship had been just another job on her daily itinerary.

And even after that, he still missed her.

Yes, she'd been malicious and conniving. But she was also one of a kind. After having been with her, every other girl in the room paled considerably in character. None of them had the same ruthless ambition, the same drive that had at first seemed so attractive.

Groaning, Duke left the dance floor and flopped onto an unoccupied stool, next to West.

West sympathetically passed Duke a drink and Duke gulped it in relief.

West really was such a good friend. He'd driven both of them here carefully, knowing that Duke was in no mood to focus on anything but his troubles. And even though he'd been just as drunk, West had taken his time to drive slowly, offering to make Jade pay the entire way. If that wasn't the mark of a true man, Duke didn't know what was.

"Thanks," Duke mumbled and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Time to see how long it would be before he thought about her again.

~*~

Jade tore through her house murderously. She couldn't believe that Arielle had the gall to say things like that to her face. Granted, Jade could've handled the situation a little better, but after seeing Blake in lip-lock with another girl, all she'd wanted to do was to tear something apart limb by limb.

And it seemed that not only had she not managed to do so, she'd just lost her one constant source of support, all in one stroke. Brilliant.

Well, she'd just have to work extra hard now to prove Arielle wrong. There was a social order that had been firmly established, and it was going to take a lot more to crumble it than lack of support.

If Jade had learned anything, it was that people were dispensable. Friends were allies, and enemies were meant to be obliterated before they tried to overtake you. And as much as it would hurt Jade, Arielle was becoming a problem. And if what she'd said was true, then the alliances really were changing.

Jade would just have to make sure that she was on the winning side. And if that meant that Arielle would end up at the bottom, then Jade would just have to get over it. She'd learned long ago that the only person she would ever invest in was herself. And tonight had just proven her right.

And now that Arielle had made it clear that she knew something Jade didn't, she was just going to have to find out the information for herself. And when she did, everyone that'd tried to keep Astoria a secret from Jade would invariably be sorry.

"Go screw each other's fat asses off somewhere else," Jade snapped, when she caught Caitlin Lambert and Pasco Denison going at it outside her father's study. The sight of them enjoying the night when Jade couldn't, only made her angrier. "You have exactly three seconds before my patience runs out. If I still see you by the count of three, I can guarantee that both your social lives will cease to exist come Monday morning."

The two looked at each other unsurely.

"One," Jade threatened.

That was all it took. The two of them had grabbed their clothes and bolted off like rabbits in wildfire. Once she was sure they were gone, Jade let herself into her father's study and shut the door behind her firmly. She could still hear the music playing over the entire first floor, but at least there were no sounds outside the door.

It was a tiny consolation to know that she could still exercise her power like that.

And now, Jade thought as she slowly walked over to Mark's desk, she would finally get the answers she was looking for. She'd tried to give her father the privacy she'd thought he deserved, but he'd clearly abused that privilege. And now, Jade was going to take it back. Her father may think that he controlled things, but he had no idea how lenient Jade had been with him. She was the one true leader, and she was tired of having to pretend otherwise.

She yanked open the first drawer like it'd personally offended her, looked at it, and promptly jammed it shut again when it revealed nothing but office supplies. Opening every drawer, Jade quickly closed the ones that held records of his past cases. She didn't need those.

Sienna-- who had ended up not showing up to the reception party after all, claiming that she'd gotten everything she needed after dinner—had implied something about a contract between her parents and Mark. If that was true, it at least gave Jade a starting point.

Thanking the heavens above for inventing organization, Jade quickly thumbed through the files. She doubted it would be in here, if Mark truly anal about maintaining his secret. To her surprise, however, it fell neatly in a folder labeled "Year 2002". It was fairly vague, and Jade quickly extracted the folder out of its spot. Mark must not have taken his teenage daughter into consideration when he'd hid this document.

She scanned the first page of the thick file, frowning. It seemed weird, but nothing groundbreaking. Nothing in it actually painted Mark as the villain that Sienna had told her about. Basically, in a situation that was similar to Terry Shivo's, it stated that in return for not taking Astoria off of life support, Mark would be granted a total sum of ten million dollars. As part of the bargain, Arielle would be allowed to visit once a year, but Jade would not, under any circumstances, be told that she had relatives on her mother's side.

Stupid document knew as much as Jade. And she'd been counting on it to give her all the answers.

Jade threw the letter back onto the table in disgust and sank into her father's chair, feeling as if this whole endeavor had been completely useless. She'd expected to have a breakthrough, but instead, it'd just confirmed that her father was a lying bastard, something that she already knew.

Then, something caught her eye. She picked up the letter again, looking at her grandparents' flourish of a signature. Letting her eyes travel, she examined the tiny, printed letters below the signature line. George and Adele Solemnity.

Jade looked down at the document with furrowed eyebrows. Where had she heard the name Solemnity before? Jade mentally flipped through her mental memory bank. Solemnity, Solemnity, Solemnity…

She looked up as her memory bank hit a spot, and her eyes narrowed. No. It couldn't be. Solemnity. As in _Kate_ Solemnity?

Jade pursed her lips, putting the thick manila folder back into its place in the drawer. There was no way the two were related. After all, she was sure there were thousands of people with the same last name.

Besides, her aunt was Sienna _Robespierre_, Jade thought triumphantly, only for her spirits to sink after she realized that Robespierre could very well be the surname of Sienna's husband, if she was married.

Jade pursed her lips tightly and gave the article a displeased look. How was this even possible? Sienna and Astoria were the only children of the Solemnities, so there was no way in hell this could be true…

Shit. Sienna's words came flooding back to her. What was the name again?

James.

The unfavored son, who had done something to get himself disowned. Jade had even asked about him during their little hotel rendezvous, but Sienna had brushed over that part, saying that it wasn't important, and Jade had forgotten about it soon enough in light of the other, more relevant revelations.

But one more thing just didn't add up. Kate Solemnity had gone to Beverly Hills Champion High School her freshmen year, and Arielle had been visiting their grandparents for six years. There was no way her sister hadn't made the connection. So, either Arielle was as stupider than Jade had thought, or there was something else that Jade didn't know about.

Great. More things Jade didn't know about.

Standing up unsteadily, Jade barely felt her movements, as her mind tried to wrap itself around this new development. There was simply no way that a someone like Kate—she'd been committed to an asylum for psychos, for goodness sake—could be related to Jade Lewallen. Things like that simply didn't happen to upstanding citizens like herself.

In fact, her mind was so busy trying to come up with valid excuses that it barely registered the ringing of her cell phone until it was almost too late.

Snatching her phone out of her clutch, Jade promptly answered it on the last ring. "Hello," Jade barked into the phone, without even bothering to check to see if it was a telemarketer, a first for her.

"Hello, Jade. I know this is somewhat late, but you did ask me to get this to you as soon as possible. It's not much, I'm telling you right now," Robert Haussler's voice came through the line, and there was the distinct sound of papers shuffling together. Jade's mind began to return back to normal, when she heard him speak. She'd almost forgotten that she'd hired the private detective earlier in the week to investigate Hannah, Blake, and Chase van Buren.

Well, those were about to take a back seat.

"Send me everything. Direct it to my private mailbox," Jade said crisply, sinking back into her father's leather chair, and spinning it around so that she wouldn't be looking at the door.

"Now, about my fee," Robert drawled over on his end, and Jade could almost hear the greediness in his voice. Nice to know that some things still remained the same around here.

"Your fee will be determined once I have examined your work," Jade replied shortly, not willing to pay without first examining the merchandise. Besides, he had said something about not finding much. She certainly wasn't going to hand over an exorbitant amount of money just to read about the boring lives of the van Burens. "Meanwhile, I have another assignment for you." She examined her nails closely, to see if her psychological tornado had done anything to it.

"But—" Robert began, and Jade could bet her left arm that he was about to whine and bitch about how he wasn't getting his proper due.

Well, Jade was fed up. Her night had been going down steadily, and she wasn't going to take anyone's crap. He was just going have to suck it up.

"Robert, I can easily take this somewhere else…" Jade said in a cold, menacing voice, letting the threat hang in the air. If he'd thought that he was something special because his mommy had told him so, she was about to put things into proper perspective for him and his over-swelled ego.

There was a short pause on the line as Robert picked up on her tone. And then, he gave a slightly audible grumble. "How may I help you? Who is it that you need this time?" Robert asked in a dejected voice, having realized that now was not a good time to challenge his employer. Who was in charge here had just been spelled out painfully clear to him.

"Me. I want you to investigate me." Jade let a devastating smile light her face up. It was so simple, yet she would never have thought of it if Robert hadn't called. Maybe he had been good for something, after all.

"You?" Robert choked over the telephone line, and Jade ground her fist into the chair arm at his dimwittedness. She really didn't think it had been that hard to understand what she'd said. Jade certainly hoped that he demonstrated a higher level of intelligence when handling her assignments.

"Yes, me. Jade Lewallen. I want you to find out everything you can about my family history. Grandparents, Uncles, Cousins, who I'm related to, family secrets. I want to know it all." Jade said. "Compile an analysis on my father too, on second thought. I want every single one of his little secrets laid out for me. It's time he learned a lesson." Jade specified clearly. She didn't need Robert to ruin the most important job she'd given him up to date.

"You shall have it as soon as I can get it," Robert promised, and Jade disconnected the line when she heard that.

Soon enough, she'd know everything there was to know about this messed up family. And when she did, it wasn't going to be pretty.

~*~

Winter felt completely at home, here on Lewallen grounds. Here, propped up on the couch, it felt nice to be relaxing on a weekend. She had almost fallen asleep after an exhausting night of alcohol and partying when she heard the music stop and a commotion start up all around her.

~*~

Ryder heard loud screams coming from downstairs before he saw the hordes of panicked teenagers. Immediately abandoning his post by the all-seeing video cameras, he opened the door, and rushed downstairs to see what all the fuss was about. After all, if there was a fire, he wanted to know about it.

"What is this all about?" He grabbed the nearest boy running by, who gasped as Ryder's arm tugged at his.

"The cops are here!" he yelled in a great distress, before wrenching his arm free and sprinting away to try to find an exit.

Ryder looked around, and couldn't blame the boy. There were beers and drugs and topless, passed out girls lying about everywhere. If this scene didn't scream teen out-of-control party, he didn't know what did. Everywhere around him, people were running about, trying to find a way out.

Unfortunately for everyone, he'd been here often enough to know that the Lewallen mansion spanned over a thousand square feet based on its first floor alone. The whole place was a maze, and in all the commotion, nobody could find the exit, which only upped the panic.

Even worse, Ryder did know where the back exit was. And it was located all the way at the other end of the house.

They were so fucked.

"Open up!" a voice bellowed from the front door, pounding the door incessantly. "This is the Los Angeles Police Department! If we have to break down this door, everybody is going to be in a lot more trouble!"

The pandemonium and panic level only increased at his words.

"Open the door before they start shooting!" an idiot screamed, not realizing in his drunken stupor that it was illegal for the police to shoot innocent bystanders, no matter how much alcohol they had in their systems.

"Everybody calm down," Duke shouted in the crowd, parting the masses like Moses and the Red Sea. "I can handle this." Duke strode resolutely up to the front door, his instant leadership instincts taking over, even while he was inebriated.

Some people in the crowd started crying when they realized what Duke was about to do.

"My daddy's going to kill me," a girl whimpered loudly from behind, as people tried to hide everything they could. Bottles were stuffed under the couches, and drugs were shoved into drawers. It was almost like a figment of a nightmare, as everybody watched Duke walk resolutely up to the front door and open it.

Two police officers stood outside the doorway, hands resting on holsters. They stepped into the foyer, and immediately knew what was going on.

"We need to talk to Mr. Lewallen and Mrs. van Buren," the first, taller officer spoke up, disgust evident in his tone. Even though all of them had tried valiantly to hide evidences of the party, there was only so much that could be shoved away in two minutes.

Ryder figured that the sight of a girl's bottom half sticking out under a couch was a pretty good clue of what had just been going on ten minutes ago.

"They're not available at the moment," Duke said almost calmly, as if he were a bored secretary taking calls for his boss.

"Then, we'd like to talk to whoever's responsible around here," the second officer said in a nasally voice that sounded like he had the flu.

A murmur went through the crowd when they heard his words. Within minutes, a general consensus had been reached and Jade Lewallen had been declared the winner. "Get Jade. She'll know what to do," people told each other, temporarily happy that the blame was going to fall square on someone else's shoulders. Someone ran off to find the missing person, while the others tried to slink away slowly.

When Jade Lewallen's trademark dark brown hair appeared, the crowd parted for the second time in five minutes, letting Jade through as she walked right up to the police officers. Confidence and command was in her every step, as she walked firmly, with her head held high. If the background were different, it would've looked like Jade was stepping forward to give a speech at the graduatin ceremony.

"I'm Jade Lewallen," she told the two in her cold, business-like voice to the taller officer. "And I would appreciate it if you told me what the two of you are doing in my house."

The officers, clearly recognizing that Jade Lewallen wasn't fazed as easily and was the one in charge, dialed their tone down to mere irritation. "We're here to see Mr. Lewallen and Mrs. van Buren."

"And what makes you think that I would tell you where they are?" Jade inquired coolly, not willing to betray the hope of all the teens in the room so easily, even if they deserved it.

"Look, Ms. Lewallen," the portly officer stepped up with a formidable expression on his own portly face. "We're just trying to do our job. We all know what has been going on in here, and frankly we don't have time for your bravery. Now, tell us. Where are they?"

Jade took a look behind her, and the public pleaded with her not to tell. Not only would they get in trouble for underage drinking and drug usage, but they'd also have to explain why their parents were stoned.

Jade turned back. She wasn't stupid enough to know that disrespecting a direct order like that would only lead to trouble. "They're at the Beverly Hills Hotel, first floor." She said, ignoring the cries of protests behind her.

They were all going to die. What would the world say when they found out that the sons and daughters of politicians, lawyers, doctors, and businessmen were out conducting themselves in such a manner?

"Thank you Ms. Lewallen," the smaller officer told her curtly while his taller colleague picked up his walkie-talkie and radioed his fellow officer.

"Officer Jenkins? Officer Greenhill on line here. Mr. Lewallen and Mrs. van Buren at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Contact them now and ask them to come to the Los Angeles State Hospital immediately. Mrs. van Buren's daughter was just involved in a car accident, and we need her to identify the body."


	23. Epilogue

Someone Just Wouldn't Listen…

Epilogue

I remember reading that Mahatma Gandhi had once said, "I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."

That is a lie.

There are many things in life that I am prepared to kill for, and none that I would willingly die for. So, as wise as Gandhi is, he is _wrong_.

And unfortunately for Chase van Buren, it's too late for her to realize that. By the time I was through with her, I don't think she'll be realizing anything anytime soon.

A part of me wished that Chase had looked into my eyes as I ran her down, that she would finally realize how dead serious I had been this entire time. That no matter who I was on the outside, the true and real me was completely different.

After all, she had been dying to find out who was stalking her a few days ago. It nearly killed me to deny her that last wish. Nearly.

But even I'm not going to pretend that I haven't been waiting to do this for a long time, that it wasn't my deepest pleasure to bring her down to her knees.

She deserved it. After all, I gave her a reason to get out of town. Three chances, three warnings. Pity she didn't take them seriously. I would've thought the cat had been a fairly clear foreshadow about what was to happen to her if she had stuck around, but obviously not. She did make the wrong choice, after all.

Just goes on to show you how fragile life is.

But the best thing is, nobody will know what I've done. They may suspect something at first, but as soon as they find all that alcohol in her system, it'll be over. She'll be just another person in the group of teens that died drinking while driving.

Oh, get over your whimpering selves. Honestly, it wasn't even that hard. She did half the work by crashing into that tree because of those Rohypnol pills I slipped into her drink. All I had to do was be the one to finish her off with a hit to the side.

It's so easy to make these things look like accidents. I've done it before, and I'm going to do it again. Because even though I hated Chase the most, she wasn't the first to go, and nor will she be the last.

So, this now leaves me with a difficult decision: who's next?

I wish I could say that it all ends here, but I won't. I may be a killer, but I'm not a liar.

And if you've ever seen a rubber band, you'd know how I feel. The more you stretch it out, the more the pressure builds, until it just snaps.

I like to think of myself as the rubber band. Every single mean, petty thing everyone's ever done to me has been stretching itself out, until I finally couldn't take it anymore.

So, who is it going to be?

Maybe Blake, who has annoyed me far too much in this past week and has the potential to destroy me? Or Jade, who is the very embodiment of the uber-bitch? She's done some shitty things in the past, and I would dearly love to be the one to take her down.

In the end, everybody who has ever hurt me is going to find out just how big of a bitch Karma is in the form of yours truly.

And if you think I'm crazy now, just wait, because it's only going to get a lot worse.

It's time to take things to the next level.

~Finis

**AN: Important! Please Read. **

**First off, I would just like to thank everyone that read this entire story from beginning to end. To those of you who reviewed or are going to review these last chapters, I want to let you guys know how much I appreciate it. Anyone who's an author knows that the best thing you can receive is feedback from your readers. I've read every single review multiple times, and they always give me fuzzy feelings and make me want to write faster. I know it's tiring to review, but all the support has truly made me so happy, and it makes me wish I knew each and every one of you, so I could thank you in person. So, here's a shout out of thanks to everyone. You guys are truly incredible. **

**I know the ending to ****Infamous**** leaves it open for a sequel. All the details have been planned since the beginning, and I didn't feel the need to change any of it, so that's why it doesn't feel completed. Now, the question is: do you guys want a sequel? I'm asking this in all honesty. I'll be entering my junior year in high school in about two weeks, and will probably not have time to write at all, in between SAT and the SAT subject tests, not to mention AP classes. Updates would be about once in 2-4 months during the school months, and most of Book Two would probably end up being written in the summer, like this year. If the majority just do not want to wait that long, I would be more than happy to write a oneshot, explaining everything about the past, Jade's relationship with the Solemnities, and who Chase's stalker is (It's been all planned out, and WILL make sense, trust me!) If that's the general agreement, I could do that too. I definitely wouldn't leave it open like that. I just wouldn't be able to tell who ends up with who, and some of the finer details. **

**On a different note, the full cast has been posted on my profile. It's just pictures of who I would imagine the characters to look like. If you have different suggestions, feel free to PM me, or something. **

**Finally, please, please, please read and review one last time. I really hate nagging about the review issue, but it's my first work of fiction ever, and also the last chapter, so I would really love it if everyone told me what they thought. Write me about who was your favorite character, who you think is the stalker, who you want to end up with who, what you want to happen, or anything. Or, if you didn't like it, that's fine, and let me know how I could improve. At the very least, at least let me know about the sequel issue somehow via review or PM, and I will take into consideration the people on both fanfiction and fictionpress and put up one more author's note late in the first week of September. **

**Thanks so much again, for reading that entire long thing, and for all the support! I truly hope you guys had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. **

**Love, JT**


	24. What Happens Next

The Vicious Circle

Hey,

So, I know I was supposed to put up the results in the first week of September. However, it is clear to me that the sequel option is the winner, so I'm just going to put up the results now. Unfortunately, this means that there will be no one-shots offered, unless you really just do not want to read about this story anymore. If so, message me with your email, give me a few days, and I'll get it to you.

As of now, Book Two in what I now dub the Infamous Series is officially in progress and will be titled The Vicious Circle. I'm really excited that people are interested to enough to want to continue reading it, so I've decided to combat a few problems that have come up.

First off, I know I told everyone that updates will be less frequent over the school year. There's not much I can do about this problem. However, I will try to get as many chapters in over the summer as I can, and I will space them out over the school year, so that updates should be about once a month.

Also, one reviewer suggested that I include a summary, as a sort of refresher. So, I will put up a tiny summary on the top of each update, to sort of remind everyone what's going on.

And lastly, expect Chapter One of The Vicious Circle to be up in a few days; so, if you want to sign up for the story alert, you can do that. Otherwise than this, I hope everybody has a good rest of the summer, and thank you everyone again for sticking with me and for reading this story!

With lots of love,

JT

P.S. I know some of you have sent me PMs and reviews. I will reply to those as soon as I get the first chapter of TVC up.

The Vicious Circle  summary:

It's been three week since the van Burens have moved into the Lewallen territory. Now, one of them has finally learned the harsh reality in a beautiful world. Behind every face, everyone must make a decision. And suddenly, allies are enemies, enemies are allies, and nobody knows what and who to believe anymore. Only one thing's for certain: no matter what decisions are made, somebody will always end up getting hurt, and here in Beverly Hills, the consequences are about to get ugly.


End file.
